Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Nordic Architecture and Design – Sweden
– and secondly, an equally important dimension, in how the finished project fits into the community it serves. “We’re quite an international office, both in terms of the people who work here and in how we work on our projects. When we undertake a project in a country we’re not as familiar with, we make sure to work with local experts. It’s important to collaborate with someone who understands the context from a materials perspective, but also from a cultural perspective,” Giudice explains. “We never want to build anything that seems like it has no connection to the area; we want to make sure that it makes sense alongside everything around it. We’re always introducing innovation and a different way of thinking about things, but it needs to be innovation that makes sense for the area.”
Designing for the long term Even on the home turf, there are opportunities for thinking bigger and letting a long-term view influence the project. The eco-quarter in Ile-Saint Denis is one such project, designed by EGA to provide housing for athletes during the 2024 summer games hosted in Paris. It’s a bit of a misnomer to say that athlete housing is what it’s been designed for, as the primary thinking has been around what can be done with the structure after the event is over. Constructed with a long-term perspective in mind from the outset, the buildings have been designed to easily convert into office space and housing. The design uses modular components that will be easy to remove and reuse. The approach is groundbreaking and provides a new
path for the construction industry towards a circular economy. “We are seeing that this long-term approach, where we are a few steps ahead from the beginning of the project, is highly appreciated by our partners. People are excited about getting onboard and putting our ideas into practice,” says Giudice. And it’s not just about the firm’s own projects. Its focus on sustainability has informed a directive from the French government that more sustainable thinking and materials need to be used in construction going forward. Likewise, the firm’s work in Sweden is setting the standard for delivering innovation in a sustainable way. Project by project, EGA is leaving a lasting impact on the world.
The Athletes Village in Paris
National Wolesale Market in Nantes. Photo: Luc Boegly
Prisma. Photo: Josefin Widell Hultgren
Web: erikgiudice.com Instagram: @ega_erikgiudice_ architects LinkedIn: company/ega---erikgiudice-architects The Athletes Village in Paris
November 2021 | Issue 136 | 77