Publication
Research at the Laboratory of Architecture and Sustainable Technologies (LAST) at EPFL aims to explore the interactions between architectural design and transitions towards sustainability in the built environment. This concerns as much the polycentric restructuring of urban areas as the ecological management of resources, the decarbonization of energy systems and the proactive anticipation of societal changes. In this context, the architectural project stands in a dialectical relationship. On the one hand, it can make a significant contribution to these ongoing changes. On the other hand, these challenges provide the "raw material" to rethink some approaches from a multi-dimensional, multi-scalar and interdisciplinary perspective. The research projects fall within the broader context of quality; they focus on supporting the emergence of new knowledge, revealing the innovation potential that can be transposed into architectural production, and identifying low carbon processes of construction. Two projects at both ends of the scales’ spectrum highlight the key issues at stake in this research process. Covering a territory from the glaciers to the sea, RHODANIE URBAINE aims to develop integrative strategies specifically adapted to rhodanian neighborhoods in transition by means of various complementary investigations. It first analyses the urban areas along the Rhône through a qualitative and quantitative inventory with a series of thematic analyses. In interaction with the architectural project studios and various experts, the approach then proposes project-based visions on four study sites in the regeneration process located in Sion, Geneva, Givors and Avignon. Taking this “research by design” approach, the project also develops a novel analysis framework to compare the evolution potential of each site in terms of a new city-river balance. At another scale, WORKING SPACE aims to facilitate the creation of new administrative spaces within urban areas by raising existing buildings. Through the development of a new prefabricated wood system, it becomes possible to efficiently increase the surface area of a building without consuming land, while at the same time providing satisfactory comfort for users and promoting a diversity of spatial configurations. Compared with standard building methods, this simple and flexible system increases accuracy and reduces on-site construction time. Thanks to a partnership with the Canton of Vaud, a pilot project could be built on a building located in the center of Lausanne. Research at the Laboratory of Architecture and Sustainable Technologies (LAST) at EPFL aims to explore the interactions between architectural design and transitions towards sustainability in the built environment. This concerns as much the polycentric restructuring of urban areas as the ecological management of resources, the decarbonization of energy systems and the proactive anticipation of societal changes. In this context, the architectural pr