Appel à communication FACES, journal d’architecture. No. 85 / Réemploi

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Publication : juin 20La revue FACES lance un appel à projets à travers les membres de la FAS (Fédération des architectes suisses) ainsi qu’un appel à articles théoriques.

Que doit-on penser de certains bâtiments intégrant des éléments de réemploi ? S’agit-il d’une simple adaptation constructive ou a-t-on affaire à une nouvelle attitude qui requestionne la manière d’envisager un projet d’architecture ? Pour aborder ces questions, la revue Faces consacrera le numéro 85 au thème du réemploi.

La prise en compte par la société des événements liés au réchauffement climatique exige d’envisager l’acte de construire différemment. C’est le nouveau défi qui se présente à tous les acteurs participant à faire évoluer notre environnement naturel et construit. Un des nouveaux thèmes qui s’offre à eux est celui de la réduction de l’impact carbone qui vise à une utilisation efficace des matériaux et sur une durée aussi longue que possible. Une des manières d’y arriver est de recourir au réemploi, entendu comme : le « retrait soigné des composants d’une construction devenue obsolète et l’extension de leur durée de vie au sein d’une autre construction^[1] ». Ces éléments sont donc modifiés ou réemployés « tel quel ». Le gisement de parties réemployées provient d’un « bâtiment donneur » qui vient s’insérer dans un « bâtiment receveur ».

À l’époque où les déplacements dépendaient de sources d’énergie humaines et animales, tout ce qui était à portée de main était bienvenu. Lors de la destruction d’une construction, il était naturel d’en extraire les matériaux pour construire un autre bâtiment. Les édifices désaffectés faisaient office de carrière de matériaux.

Le 20^è^me siècle, qui est le siècle de l’avènement du béton, est aussi celui de la tabula rasa. Un bâtiment vise une efficience absolue et les éléments situés sur un site construit sont systématiquement mis en décharge. Aujourd’hui, en raison des effets conjugués de l’épuisement des ressources naturelles et du changement climatique, la question du réemploi réapparait et s’impose même dans certains projets.

Réutiliser des parties de bâtiments en les changeant de milieu met en œuvre de nouvelles pratiques de mise en œuvre. Une multitude de questions se posent quant au rôle et à la mission des architectes. Certains militent pour que, lors d’une démolition, une liste exhaustive des éléments à déconstruire soit établie, en vue d’être réemployés. Des centrales de vente et d’achat de matériaux sont en place. Une filière pour réutiliser tout type de matériaux est lentement en train de se mettre en place.

Le réemploi engendre-t-il une nouvelle esthétique ? Est-ce que le « faire avec » implique automatiquement une esthétique de bricolage ? Les objets de réemploi ne sont pas dessinés ou façonnés par l’auteur du projet, mais acceptés avec leurs caractéristiques formelles et accidentelles. Cette stratégie offre un fantastique réservoir d’imaginaire. Puisqu’en 2024 on a célébré le centenaire du surréalisme, il faudrait ici évoquer le principe de « paresse » qui a guidé Marcel Duchamp dans la mise en place de ses ready-made, à savoir une pensée créatrice éminemment économe qui produit du nouveau sans devoir le créer ex-nihilo. Des objets accidentellement choisis par l’auteur semblent ainsi se charger d’une nouvelle épaisseur sémantique par le simple acte de déplacement ou de changement d’orientation dans l’espace.

Le réemploi fait aussi ressurgir des questions formelles comme celle de l’assemblage. Nous pourrions même penser que cette procédure est obligatoire puisque le réemploi implique automatiquement la rencontre entre des matériaux venus d’un bâtiment donneur et des matériaux nouveaux.

La revue Faces lance un appel à publication de projets à travers les membres des deux sections FAS de la Romandie pour la livraison du numéro 85. Le but est de regarder notre territoire — la Romandie — pour comprendre si des tendances et des récurrences peuvent y être détectées, et dans un second temps oser des comparaisons avec des projets réalisés dans d’autres lieux.

Les projets réalisés ou partie d’ouvrage doivent traiter de la thématique qui précède. Des projets encore non réalisés peuvent être proposés à condition qu’ils remplissent pleinement la problématique.

Il va de soi que les auteurs de projets ne doivent pas obligatoirement être des membres FAS et qu’un membre FAS peut proposer un projet de sa propre production.

La revue lance simultanément un appel à publication international pour des articles théoriques autour de la question du réemploi présentée ci-dessus. Ces textes théoriques qui seront insérés dans la partie « dossier thématique » de la revue seront compris entre 20’000 et 25’000 signes espaces compris.

Le processus se déroulera comme suit :

2 février 2025, date de soumission des projets sous la forme d’une fiche A4 recto avec plan et photos, accompagné d’une courte description et présentation du concepteur. Chaque architecte et/ou concepteur devra désigner un auteur pour la rédaction d’un article critique.
2 février. La même date est fixée pour l’envoi d’une proposition d’articles théoriques sous la forme d’un abstract de 3’000 signes.

17 février 2025, les articles et les projets sélectionnés sont annoncés.

13 avril 2025, envoi des deux types d’articles :

Articles critiques liés aux projets sélectionnés d’une longueur de 7’000 signes avec espaces (voir à ce propos le format des articles du cahier de projets de FACES 81) et envoi des documents graphiques y relatifs par les bureaux d’architecture.
Articles théoriques d’une longueur de 20’000-25’000 signes avec espaces ( un vade-mecum à l’édition sera envoyé aux auteurs en février) et envoi des illustrations avec images à haute définition. .

Les candidatures en FRANÇAIS ou en ANGLAIS sont à transmettre uniquement par mail à Eliza Culea-Hong, coordinatrice de la revue : facesrevue@gmail.com.

Adrien Besson, guest editor

^[1] C. Fivet; C. M. Küpfer; M. Bastien Masse, « Matériaux rejetés et nouveaux défis », Tracés. 2022.

FACES is launching a call for projects from members of the FAS (Federation of Swiss Architects), as well as a call for theoretical articles.

What are we to make of buildings that incorporate reused elements? Is it simply a matter of constructive adaptation, or is it a new approach that calls into question the way in which we might envisage an architectural project? To address these questions, FACES will devote issue 85 to the theme of reuse.

If our society is to take account of events linked to global warming, we need to start thinking differently about the act of building. This is the new challenge facing all those involved in developing our natural and built environment. One of the new issues facing them is that of reducing carbon impact, with the aim of using materials efficiently and over as long a period as possible. One way of achieving this is through reuse, which is defined as “the careful removal of components from a building that has become obsolete and the extension of their life within another building”.^[1] These elements are therefore modified or reused “as is”. The source of reused parts comes from a “donor building” that is inserted into a “recipient building”.

At a time when travel depended on human and animal sources of energy, anything within reach was welcome. When a building was demolished, it was natural to extract the materials to build another. Disused buildings were used as quarries for materials.

The 20^th century, which saw the advent of concrete, was also the century of the tabula rasa. Buildings aimed for absolute efficiency, and components located on a built site were systematically sent to landfill. Today, with the combined effects of the depletion of natural resources and climate change, the issue of reuse has re-emerged, and is even becoming an imperative in some projects.

Reusing parts of buildings in a new environment calls for new implementation practices. A host of questions are being asked about the role and remit of architects. Some people are campaigning for an exhaustive list to be drawn up of the elements to be dismantled when a building is demolished, so that they can be reused. Central purchasing and sales offices for materials have been set up. An industry for reusing all types of materials is slowly being set up.

Does reuse engender a new aesthetic? Does “making do” automatically imply a DIY aesthetic? Reused objects are not designed or shaped by the designer but accepted with their formal and accidental characteristics. This strategy offers a fantastic reservoir of possibilities. Given that 2024 marked the 100^th anniversary of Surrealism, it would be appropriate here to evoke the principle of “laziness” that guided Marcel Duchamp in the creation of his ready-mades, i.e. a creative thought that is eminently thrifty, producing something new without having to create it ex nihilo. Objects accidentally chosen by the artist seem to take on a new semantic depth simply by being moved or reoriented.

Reuse also raises formal issues such as assembly. We could even say that this procedure is compulsory, since reuse automatically implies materials from a donor building and new materials coming together.

FACES is launching a call for projects to be published by members of the two FAS sections in French-speaking Switzerland for issue 85. The aim is to look at our territory — Romandie —, to understand whether trends and recurrences can be detected there and then venture into making comparisons with projects carried out in other places.

Completed projects or parts of projects must address the above theme. Projects that have not yet been completed may be submitted, provided that they fully meet the requirements.

It goes without saying that the authors of projects do not have to be FAS members and that an FAS member may propose a project of his or her own production.

At the same time, the journal is launching an international call for theoretical articles on the subject of reuse. These theoretical texts, which will be included in the “thematic dossier” section of the journal, should be between 20,000 and 25,000 characters, including spaces.

The schedule is as follows:

2 February 2025, date for submission of projects in the form of a single-sided A4 sheet with plan and photos, accompanied by a short description and presentation of the designer. Each architect and/or designer must designate an author to write a critical article.
2 February 2025 – the same date is set for submitting a proposal for theoretical articles in the form of an abstract of 3,000 characters.
17 February 2025, the selected articles and projects are announced.
13 April 2025, submission of both types of article:

Critical articles relating to selected projects, 7,000 characters long including spaces (see the format for articles in the FACES 81 project booklet) and submission of the relevant graphic documents by the architectural offices.
Theoretical articles of between 20,000 and 25,000 characters in length including spaces (an editing guide will be sent to authors in February) and illustrations with high-definition images will be sent.

Applications in FRENCH or ENGLISH should be sent by email only to Eliza Culea-Hong, journal coordinator: facesrevue@gmail.com.

Adrien Besson, guest editor

^[1] C. Fivet; C. M. Küpfer; M. Bastien Masse, “Matériaux rejetés et nouveaux défis”, Tracés. 2022.

FACES is
launching a call for projects from members of the FAS (Federation of Swiss
Architects), as well as a call for theoretical articles. What are we to make of buildings that
incorporate reused elements? Is it simply a matter of constructive adaptation,
or is it a new approach that calls into question the way in which we might
envisage an architectural project? To address these questions, FACES
will devote issue 85 to the theme of reuse. If our society is to take account of
events linked to global warming, we need to start thinking differently about
the act of building. This is the new challenge facing all those involved in
developing our natural and built environment. One of the new issues facing them
is that of reducing carbon impact, with the aim of using materials efficiently
and over as long a period as possible. One way of achieving this is through
reuse, which is defined as “the careful removal of components from a building
that has become obsolete and the extension of their life within another
building”.^{^[1]} These elements are
therefore modified or reused “as is”. The source of reused parts comes from a “donor
building” that is inserted into a “recipient building”. At a time when travel depended on human
and animal sources of energy, anything within reach was welcome. When a
building was demolished, it was natural to extract the materials to build
another. Disused buildings were used as quarries for materials. The 20^th century, which
saw the advent of concrete, was also the century of the tabula rasa.
Buildings aimed for absolute efficiency, and components located on a built site
were systematically sent to landfill. Today, with the combined effects of the
depletion of natural resources and climate change, the issue of reuse has
re-emerged, and is even becoming an imperative in some projects. Reusing parts of buildings in a new
environment calls for new implementation practices. A host of questions are
being asked about the role and remit of architects. Some people are campaigning
for an exhaustive list to be drawn up of the elements to be dismantled when a
building is demolished, so that they can be reused. Central purchasing and
sales offices for materials have been set up. An industry for reusing all types
of materials is slowly being set up. Does reuse engender a new aesthetic?
Does “making do” automatically imply a DIY aesthetic? Reused objects are not
designed or shaped by the designer but accepted with their formal and
accidental characteristics. This strategy offers a fantastic reservoir of
possibilities. Given that 2024 marked the 100^th anniversary of
Surrealism, it would be appropriate here to evoke the principle of “laziness” that
guided Marcel Duchamp in the creation of his ready-mades, i.e. a creative
thought that is eminently thrifty, producing something new without having to
create it ex nihilo. Objects accidentally chosen by the artist seem to
take on a new semantic depth simply by being moved or reoriented. Reuse also raises formal issues such as
assembly. We could even say that this procedure is compulsory, since reuse
automatically implies materials from a donor building and new materials coming
together. FACES is launching a
call for projects to be published by members of the two FAS sections in
French-speaking Switzerland for issue 85. The aim is to look at our
territory — Romandie —, to understand whether trends and recurrences can be
detected there and then venture into making comparisons with projects carried
out in other places. Completed projects or parts of
projects must address the above theme. Projects that have not yet been
completed may be submitted, provided that they fully meet the requirements.It goes without saying that the authors
of projects do not have to be FAS members and that an FAS member may propose a
project of his or her own production. At the same time, the journal is
launching an international call for theoretical articles on the subject
of reuse. These theoretical texts, which will be included in the “thematic
dossier” section of the journal, should be between 20,000 and 25,000 characters,
including spaces. The schedule is as follows:·
2 February 2025, date for submission of projects in the form of a
single-sided A4 sheet with plan and photos, accompanied by a short
description and presentation of the designer. Each architect and/or designer
must designate an author to write a critical article.·
2 February 2025 – the same date is set for submitting a proposal for theoretical
articles in the form of an abstract of 3,000 characters. ·
17 February 2025, the selected articles and projects are announced.·
13 April 2025, submission of both
types of article: a)      Critical articles relating to selected
projects, 7,000 characters long including spaces (see the format for articles in the FACES 81
project booklet) and submission of the relevant graphic documents by the
architectural offices.b)      Theoretical articles of between 20,000 and
25,000 characters in length including spaces (an editing guide will be
sent to authors in February) and illustrations with high-definition images will
be sent. Applications in FRENCH or ENGLISH
should be sent by email only to Eliza Culea-Hong, journal coordinator:
facesrevue@gmail.com. Adrien Besson, guest editor