Elective course no. 1: Construction and computing course (CCI)

This course aims to raise students’ awareness of the current climate crisis, as seen through the eyes of architects.
All construction activities are predators of the environment.
Practical introduction to wood, earth and straw construction.

Participation / Attendance
Assessment through practical work and exercises
Project presentation: construction details using new building materials (wood, earth, straw)

Personal research (text criticism, exercises, short presentation)

Visits to post-extractivist projects (biosourced, geosourced, frugal): photographs, drawings, note-taking, interviews
Meeting with professionals Short circuit wood, raw earth, straw ITE
Participative straw and raw earth construction site.

A more complete list will be sent at the beginning of the course:

but will include :
Guide des Bonnes Pratiques de la Construction en Terre Crue (Bauge, Pisé, Brique, Torchis, Enduit)
-L’energie du déni (Mignerot), Le Monde sans fin ET sa critique (Jancovici/Blain), Tout peut changer (Naomi Klein), Par delà nature et culture (Descola), Histoire naturelle de l’Architecture (Rahm), Fascisme Fossile (Zetkin Collective), Raviver les braises du vivant (Morizot), La conception bioclimatique (Courgey/Oliva), Manuel d’architecture naturelle (Wright), Starhawk, Vidalou, Jounin…

in 2022, we worked on the Jardins des Vertus in Aubervilliers: how to build a communal tree house.
Antoine Chao (France Inter) came to interview us:
https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceinter/podcasts/c-est-bientot-demain/c-est-bientot-demain-du-dimanche-10-avril-2022-8326776
During a Wednesday session, we also insulated the outside of the building with straw bales, then plastered the schoolyard with raw earth (still visible).

in 2023, we worked on raw earth, tested an Île-de-France soil, read guides to good practice in raw earth construction, and designed a building for Paris Habitat which was then completed during the CTID in September 2023.

in 2024, we worked on the Bergerie de Bagnolet and did raw earth plastering sessions on straw bales and mycelium at the Gare des Mines.

in 2025, we brought the Agiles Argiles exhibition back to the showroom in the very first sessions! visit buildings from the new BTP, meet the players in the Paris region who practice wood, earth and straw… know the Guide des Bonnes Pratiques de la construction en terre crue by heart. make load-bearing straw in Epinay sur Seine

Understand the levers for action in construction to mitigate the impact of global warming, by linking a global view with concrete measures at building and landscape level.

Theoretical courses alternate with group visits, production and inverted classes. Attendance and participation will be taken into account, as well as the quality of renderings.

In pairs:
1.1st session: choose an article from those proposed, present it orally, with an illustrated summary of the fundamental concepts
2. Following a presentation of Paris City Council’s ‘rue aux écoles’ scheme, visit and project to transform a street
3. Deepen and illustrate the functioning of an architectural typology for freshness (e.g. patio, pergola, cryptoporticus…)
4. Revisit a project (personal or otherwise) using an adaptation strategy. Integrate passive and active devices, starting with landscape and urban integration, right down to the smallest detail. The aim is not to add technical devices, but to generate architecture. For example: the layout and configuration of openings will be thought out according to their orientation and in such a way as to encourage natural ventilation; a water retention device on the plot is displayed as micro-architecture in a renovation project…
5. Two workshops with a hydrologist. The path of water becomes a common thread running through the project: applications on the scale of a neighborhood and a building.

Compensatory work if necessary: manufacture of a low-tech device (e.g. summer fridge).

Books:
– Terrin J.J dir., Villes et changement climatique, Parenthèses, 2015.
– Janin F., Delpont JL., Janin M., Janin N., Le confort d’été dans l’habitat, Terre vivante 2024.
– Barra M., Bâtir en favorisant la biodiversité, naturParif, 2012. (also available free of charge)

Open access documents:
Bornarel A., E.Patte, Rester cool : fraîcheur sans clim, Lanceurs d’avenir/ICEB, 2019.
Bornarel A. (pilotage), Confort d’été passif, Les guides biotech/ICEB, ARENE IDF, 2014.
Sellier D. (pilotage), Ventilation naturelle et mécanique, Les guides biotech/ICEB/ARENE IDF, 2012.
Rafraîchir les villes : des solutions variées, ADEME, 2021.
Pommier G., Gutleben C., Provendier D., Musy M., Impacts du végétal en ville, Plante et Cité/ VegDUD, 2014.
Référentiel pour une gestion à la source des eaux pluviales dans la métropole. Cahier 1, Pourquoi une gestion à la source des eaux pluviales ? Cahier 2, Comment gérer les eaux de pluie à la source ? Atelier parisien d’urbanisme (2018, https://www.apur.org/fr/nos-travaux/referentiel-une-gestion-source-eaux-pluviales-metropole).
Le Paris pluie, guide d’accompagnement pour la mise en œuvre du zonage pluvial à Paris (Ville de Paris, 2018).

Web conferences:
Philippe Clergeau, Urbanisme et biodiversité (Espace des sciences, 2018).
Stefano Mancuso, Les racines de l’intelligence végétale (Ted global, 2010).

Comics/graphic novels:
Petit traité d’écologie sauvage, by Alessandro Pignocchi (3 volumes, Steinkis, 2021).
L’Oasis, by Simon Hureau (Dargaud, 2020).

In today’s context of growing ecological awareness, anthropogenic pollution and the development of carbon-neutral legislation, this course looks at the problems of carbon in construction and how to create buildings that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The aim is to provide a basic understanding of the element carbon (C) and its compounds, which are often mentioned in the field of construction and planning and used as indicators: carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2 eq.), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), greenhouse gases (GHGs). Compounds for which it is important to understand the origin, role and impact of carbon in the life cycle of living beings.
The aim is to acquire the keys to understanding and applying the project:
– carbon and GHG emissions, particularly with regard to building materials, both structural and ancillary
– regulatory obligations in the construction sector with the RE2020 and the forthcoming RE2025, 2028
– life cycle analysis (dynamic or not)
– carbon footprints and weights of building components
– discuss the consumption of materials in a construction project, and be able to work on intentions and compositions through the prism of low-carbon design
– use and/or develop simple study and comparison tools
– develop a critical eye for data
-develop your project strategy

Over the course of the semester, students will study built projects and collectively produce a catalog of different construction methods based on their analyses. They will draw up detailed cross-sections of the various envelope elements, in line with current thermal performance targets.
For each construction method, the catalog will include:
– References of built projects
– Captioned sections of envelope parts
– Thermal performance (Ubakus or other)
– Carbon weight/m² (Vizcab)
– Suggested variants/alternatives and carbon gain or loss

The objectives are:
– To bring together personal and collective work within a common deliverable. This catalog will provide everyone with a basis for designing envelope thicknesses and composition, with construction details, and for understanding the role of each component in terms of carbon and thermal performance, depending on the construction method
– To capitalize on successive promotions in terms of construction catalogs, project analysis and the creation of a library…

Prerequisites: Bachelor’s Ambiance course.
Weekly attendance
Individual and group work

CTA802 STRUCTURES MUSICALES
Wednesdays, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
LANGUAGE OF TEACHING AND COMMUNICATION: FRENCH
=> Students must be sufficiently fluent in French to enable us to communicate with each other, particularly on technical issues.

With :

Yves MAHIEU accompanied by :

guillaume BILLAUX(acoustician)

Antoine PETITRENAUD

Instructs, through experimentation, the relationship between structure, form and sound, with a minimalist approach to materials.
This last point (saving materials) seems appropriate for the ecological transition.

Beyond the form/function relationships traditionally taught in architecture, the aim here is to :

1- understand the complex relationship between structure and form through manipulation.

This theme places this teaching :

– in continuity with the Structural Morphology course taught in L1 and
– in parallel with other courses offered in the Master’s program:
* CTA707: Structures légères art et biomécanique.
* Project P708: PERSONA GRATA Urban mobile interference structures.

2- add sound.
The aim is to experiment in the real world with the relationship between sound on the one hand, and shapes and materials on the other.
For example, the following could be projected and built:
– acoustic correctors modifying the characteristics of a site
– sound installations generating sounds that can be modulated according to variable shapes using adjustable structures. Ultimately, the aim is to build giant instruments.
…
Other beasties from your imagination, which we hope will be overflowing, and which will bring into play the relationships between structure, form and sound.

Participation
Presentation of a prototype, a dossier and a film.

Design and production of a static or dynamic structure that emits or corrects sound.
Structural analysis of productions (files and films)

M86-CCI 805 STRUCTURES MUSICALES
Wednesdays, 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
LANGUAGE OF TEACHING AND COMMUNICATION: FRENCH
=> Students must have a sufficient command of French to enable us to communicate with each other, particularly with regard to technical notions.

With :

Yves MAHIEU accompanied by :

guillaume BILLAUX(acoustician)

Instructs, through experimentation, the relationship between structure, form and sound, with a minimalist approach to materials.
This last point (saving materials) seems appropriate for the ecological transition.

Beyond the form/function relationships traditionally taught in architecture, the aim here is to :

1- understand the complex relationship between structure and form through manipulation.

This theme places this teaching :

– in continuity with the Structural Morphology course taught in L1 and
– in parallel with other courses offered in the Master’s program:
* CTA707: Structures légères art et biomécanique.
* Project P708: PERSONA GRATA Urban mobile interference structures.

2- add sound.
The aim is to experiment in the real world with the relationship between sound on the one hand, and shapes and materials on the other.
For example, the following could be projected and built:
– acoustic correctors modifying the characteristics of a site
– sound installations generating sounds that can be modulated according to variable shapes using adjustable structures. Ultimately, the aim will be to build giant instruments.
…
Other beasties from your imagination, which we hope will be overflowing, and which will bring into play the relationships between structure, form and sound.

M73-CCI 712 Terres et Toiles
LANGUAGE OF TEACHING AND COMMUNICATION: FRENCH
=> Students must have a sufficient command of French to enable us to communicate with them, particularly on technical issues.

Wednesdays from 9:00 to 12:00
Teacher in charge: Yves MAHIEU + Speakers : Andreas KREWET earth construction engineer (to be confirmed)…

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Participation
Presentation of a prototype, a dossier and a film.

Design and production of a static or dynamic structure that emits or corrects sound.
Structural analysis of productions (files and films)

In the context of heritage restoration and construction verification, we are often faced with major problems of surveying, representation and simulation. Traditional graphic methods can no longer meet all the needs of architectural restoration.

That’s why, in this course, we’d like to look at the services that digital surveying techniques, and in particular 3D laser scanning, can provide, and consider how they can be used to reconstruct and simulate buildings and historic monuments in their environment.

The aim of this course is to introduce students to heritage restoration and constructive questioning, bringing together knowledge from different disciplines (history, architecture, construction).

In practice, this means digitally surveying buildings or historic monuments using 3D laser scanners (Lasergrammetry), and then producing various types of representations with varying levels of detail. These productions will be used to study the building and structural systems, and to digitally restore the building as a whole, as well as any damaged or missing parts.

By taking into account the direct links between surveying and the restitution of the architectural project, this course aims to :
– Master the techniques of surveying heritage buildings using Lasergrammetry, to produce a volumetric representation of the building system.
– the representation of the project in its context will also be part of the expectations, given the heritage character of the object studied.
– Recovering technical information enabling us to apprehend levels of detail and old conditions in order to restore damaged or missing parts of the building.
– Carry out various studies on the architectural objects to be modeled (strength of materials, constructive system, structure, etc.)
– Produce different types of representations (aspects, textures, colors and materials, 2D and 3D representations, etc.).
– Develop a database containing all the architectural and construction data for the building under study.

– Exercises and personal mini-projects using the 3D scanner and modeling and calculation software, 3D digital restitution.
– Monographic and technical file on the building studied.
– Hand in a dossier at the end of the semester presenting :
– working approach,
– restitution and verification hypotheses.
– Exhibition and display of work at the school.

Continuous assessment 50% and personal portfolio 50%.

– Theoretical classes of 1h30 and 2h weekly practical classes in a computer room.
– Teaching methods (hours) :CM : 21 h TD : 28 h TP : Personal work : 21h

– Presentations by experienced professionals in the field of heritage and lasergrammetry to present a pragmatic approach to the themes studied,
– Students are divided into several groups.
– Study trip during the Easter vacations to carry out the on-site survey campaign on the building to be studied.

The aim of this course is to introduce students to computer simulation and evaluation tools specific to the needs of architects in the field of thermal environments. The aim is not to adopt an engineer’s approach by sizing and optimizing a project that has already been designed, but to adopt the position of the architect who is confronted with the early evaluation of the impact of morphological, structural and/or technical choices.
The aim is to experiment with tools for simulating atmospheres in architectural production in the design or rehabilitation phase.
Students carry out experimental exercises on digital mock-ups. The aim is to verify, for example, the thermal behavior of a project in the sketch or architectural rehabilitation phase. The aim is to validate the choices made by the project management team in terms of winter comfort, summer comfort and energy requirements.
We use Archiwizard and PléiadesComfie software to study the energy performance of architectural projects in the design or rehabilitation phase.

Participation / Attendance
Assessment on practical work and exercises
Exercises and personal mini-project using CAD and thermal environment simulation software.

Personal research (text review, exercises, short presentation)
Mini personal project:
This involves personal research on a case study of early thermal assessment, with possible modifications to the project based on the results obtained.

ycelium at the Gare des Mines.

The aim of this course is to introduce students to BIM, a new 2D/3D production method based on the integration of business software into the production process of an architectural project and the life cycle of a building.
Today, a new organization of work has been put in place, and continues to evolve, in architectural production, in an eco-design-ecoconstruction approach based on the concept of the digital model. The BIM digital model is a new working method based on the collaboration of all those involved in design and construction around a digital model.
This digital mock-up is based on a standardized data exchange format such as IFC (Industry Foundation Class), which can be used by a variety of industry-specific software. It is this exchange format that enables the interoperability of the various construction players (architects, engineers, coordinators, contractors, etc.) in an eco-design-ecoconstruction approach to environmental issues.

– Exercises and personal mini-project using BIM modeling and simulation software.
– Monographic and technical sheet of the building studied.
– Hand in a dossier at the end of the semester presenting :
– Working approach,
– Modeling and simulation hypotheses.

Continuous assessment 50% and personal portfolio 50%.

At the end of the course, we ask students to carry out a study project and experiment with different BIM themes.
We use BIM software such as Archiwizard and PléiadesComfie, ArchiCAD and Revit.

(in progress)

The aim of this course is to train students in an integrated approach to generative design applied to environmental performance. At the end of the module, students will be able to:
1/ mobilize parametric and algorithmic tools to explore architectural forms; 2/ define and manipulate environmental assessment functions (sunlight, thermal and visual comfort, etc.); 3/ optimize projects according to a multi-criteria logic linked to bioclimatic and climatic issues.); 3/ optimize projects according to a multi-criteria logic linked to bioclimatic and climatic issues; 4/ critically interpret simulation results and draw concrete lessons for design; 5/ articulate bioclimatic design principles and computational methods to adapt architectural projects to climate change.

Assessment will be based on continuous assessment.

Weekly practical work in Grasshopper and Ladybug/Honeybee; Critical analysis of a set of simulation results and their implications for design; Final presentation of a small project integrating both the computational dimension and bioclimatic design principles.

Anton, I., and Tănase, D. (2016). Informed geometries: Parametric modelling and energy analysis in early stages of design. Energy Procedia, 85, 9-16.
Attia, S., Beltran, L., Herde, A., and Hensen, J. (2009). “Architect friendly”: A comparison of ten different building performance simulation tools. IBPSA 2009 – International Building Performance Simulation Association 2009, 204-211
Bellia, L., Cesarano, A., Iuliano, G. F., and Spada, G. (2008). Daylight glare: A review of discomfort indexes. Visual Quality and Energy Efficienty in Indoor Lighting: Today for Tomorrow.
Caetano, I., Santos, L., and Leitão, A. (2020). Computational design in architecture: Defining parametric, generative, and algorithmic design. Frontiers of Architectural Research.
Carlucci, S., Causone, F., De Rosa, F., and Pagliano, L. (2015). A review of indices for assessing visual comfort with a view to their use in optimization processes to support building integrated design. Renewable and sustainable energy reviews, 47, 1016-1033
Cichocka, J. M. (2017). Optimization in the Architectural Practice-An International Survey. P. Janssen, P. Loh, A. Raonic, M. A. Schnabel (eds.), Protocols, Flows, and Glitches-Proceedings of the 22nd CAADRIA Conference, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China, 5-8 April 2017, pp. 387-396. http://papers.cumincad.org/cgibin/works/paper/caadria2017_155
Eltaweel, A., and Yuehong, S. U. (2017). Parametric design and daylighting: A literature review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 73, 1086-1103
Ercan, B., and Elias-Ozkan, S. T. (2015). Performance-based parametric design explorations: A method for generating appropriate building components. Design Studies, 38, 33-53
Hudson, R., Shepherd, P., and Hines, D. (2011). Aviva Stadium: A case study in integrated parametric design. International Journal of Architectural Computing, 9(2), 187-204
Wortmann, T., and Nannicini, G. (2016). Black-box optimization methods for architectural design: A quantitative comparison of metaheuristic, direct search, and model-based optimization methods. CAADRIA Conference Proceedings, 177-186
Hollberg, A., and Ruth, J. (2016). LCA in architectural design-a parametric approach. International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment.
Roudsari, M. S., and Pak, M. (2013). Ladybug: A parametric environmental plugin for Grasshopper to help designers create an environmentally-conscious design. Proceedings of the 13th Conference of IBPSA, France
FERNADEZ Pierre, LAVIGNE Pierre. Concevoir des bâtiments bioclimatiques – Fondements et méthodes. Paris: Le moniteur, 2009. 430pLACATON, Anne; VASSAL, Jean-Philippe; COLLO, IZARD Jean-Louis, GUYIT Alain. Archi bio. Rocquevaire: Parenthèses, 1979. 131p.Florencia; DAMBRON, Olivier; ALONSO CANDAU, Rafael; REDELSPERGER, Gaëtan. It’s nice Today: On Climate, Comfort, and Pleasure. Berlin: Ruby Press, 2025. 255p
Etamine, AMOES, EODD, inddigo, florès, Pouget Consultant, OASIS. Manifesto for the systematic adaptation of buildings to heat waves: https://www.manifeste-batiment-durable.fr/?adaptation-vagues-chaleur

CONSTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS BY MAQUETTE
‘ Wooden furniture, a digital design tool approach ‘

Through the creation of several models at different scales, the student is asked to carry out a constructive analysis of a piece of furniture linked to a specific universe (office, early childhood, etc… a subject that varies from year to year)
that is a benchmark in the history of 20th and 21st century design.
Based on this analysis, the aim is to design a piece of furniture, which, after design and analysis, will be made to scale on a 15 mm thick plywood panel measuring 153 x 153 cm.
The component parts will be cut on a CNC milling machine and assembled without glue, nails or screws.
This furniture, whose finish is left to the student’s initiative, must be dismountable and producible in small series.

Continuous assessment, attendance,
A high-quality dossier, on A4 paper, containing texts, sketches, drawings and photos of the personal work of critical analysis carried out during the semester.
The various working models, and the fully finished prototype of the full-scale furniture.

No validation if more than 3 absences during the semester.

Course language: French
Language of communication: French + some English and Spanish.

By taking into account the direct links between project design and realization, this course introduces students to the field of carbon-neutral and environmentally-friendly techniques and implementation systems, through the discovery of the building process and the systems of actors and production

Please note: given the specific nature of the course and the partnership agreement with the AREP agency (offering and supervising site visits), the number of students is deliberately reduced to twelve.

– Attendance and participation in tutorials (analysis of working drawings, drawing up a schedule, presentation of implementation systems encountered during visits).
– Attendance at site visits.
– Hand in a dossier by pairs at the end of the semester
Continuous assessment (participation in site visits and tutorials): 50% and final dossier: 50%.

The final report (produced in pairs) will be based on one of the site visits.
After reviewing and analyzing one of the sites visited, the work will involve – depending on the specific nature of the site – proposing reasoned alternatives that are more respectful of the environment than the choices made by the company (materials, construction methods and implementation procedures).

sent at the beginning of the semester

Current environmental and regulatory trends are forcing us to take account of bio-sourced and insulating materials. Straw bales meet these requirements, and require professionals to adapt their practices.
The “Règles Professionnelles de Construction en Paille” drafted by the Réseau Français de Construction en Paille constitute the official and normative framework applicable in France. They define the design and implementation rules to be applied when using straw bales as insulating fillings and plaster supports.

The Pro-Paille training course enables you to master these Professional Rules through practical exercises and theoretical courses.

-Understand straw bale material, its characteristics and limitations.
-Know the basics of building physics and thermal engineering.
-Know the regulatory context applicable to straw construction.
-Learn to use and master the Professional Rules for Straw Construction.
-Discover and practice the main straw building techniques.
-Apply the first coat of plaster to a straw substrate.
-Draw up a quality control sheet for straw processing.

INTERSEMESTER 2025 :

Monday February 2 to Friday February 6, 2025: Room Volume / Room 204 (to be specified)
9am / 6pm

Validation of this UE will be decoupled from obtaining the RFCP certificate.
Students are expected to attend and participate in practical and theoretical sessions and exercises, and to keep a notebook.
Evaluation of notebook, exercises (during lecture sessions), attitude and participation during practical sessions.
The “Pro-Paille” is also validated by a final exam, leading to a certificate of achievement. The test consists of a 50-question MCQ to be completed in 1h30, based on professional rules. The certificate of achievement is a compulsory professional qualification required by insurers whenever straw bales are used in a project.

Obtaining the CTA will be decoupled from obtaining the RFCP certificate.
Students are expected to attend and participate in practical and theoretical sessions and exercises, and to keep a notebook.
Evaluation of notebook, exercises (during lecture sessions), attitude and participation during practical sessions.

Construction en Paille, Eric Foissac
Techniques de construction en paille, Eddy Fruchard and Virginie Piaud
Construire en paille aujourd’hui, Herbert Gruber
Construire son habitation en paille selon la technique du GREB, Vincent Brossamain and Jean-Baptiste Thévard ,Guide pratique

The current practice of architecture is not limited to the design and construction of new buildings or the renovation of existing structures. Through the diversity of professions occupied by architecture graduates, it contributes to the development of inhabited spaces at all scales, from large territories, neighborhoods and public spaces to interior design and even the technical design of building components. Upstream of projects, architects are increasingly involved in advising elected representatives and project owners on more global strategies, diagnostics, programming and project management. Downstream, we find them managing condominiums, assisting with energy renovation, helping with self-build projects, and so on. These challenges of professional transformation require us to adapt our training courses to these new issues, and to support students in these careers and professionals in these practices.

Teaching objective

The issues facing the architectural profession today concern low-carbon construction/renovation, and in particular the technical knowledge required for buildings, integrating notions of the entire building life cycle: design, operation and deconstruction. Indicators to measure the achievement of ambitions will therefore be developed with the students:
Environmental: embodied energy and carbon footprint, LCA, collapse of biodiversity…(reuse…); 
-Climatic: summer comfort (including the thermal challenges of sunshine); -Economic: energy sobriety (envelope approach between inertia and insulation, thermal bridges and airtightness, hygrometry); indoor air quality and ventilation and passive strategies.

The aim of the course is to make students aware of the key figures in decarbonization strategies and environmental indicators for rehabilitation, particularly in France, and the vectors that will enable architects to take action on all issues, not forgetting the dialogue with their principals: the client (public and private). Case studies will be presented.

– final report: file based on analyses of the area/building studied + oral check on understanding of rehabilitation issues and environmental indicators taken into account

-50% lectures and 50% seminars. Classes are held in a real building to be refurbished.

will be given by courses with bibliography on each subject