The École nationale supérieure d’architecture de Paris-la Villette (ENSAPLV) has been granted a five-year trial period by the French Ministry of Culture to test the implementation of the habilitation à la maîtrise d’œuvre en son nom propre (HMONP) in a unique context, in Bourgogne – Franche-Comté (BFC) – a region with no school of architecture and a shortage of architects.
This experiment proposes an HMONP training program “outside the walls”, built with local players within the framework of an ENSA / CROA BFC / DRAC BFC partnership. The aim is to broaden the scope of architects’ activities, diversify their practice and support small structures wishing to host a work experience program (MSP), without always having the means to do so.
What is a singular context?
Mixed practice in an architectural agency and a local authority, in a CAUE and an agency, or in an agency and a wood and/or building company, over a minimum period of six months. The aim is to pool the resources of the various structures, to learn about the know-how of each and to develop cross-disciplinary approaches to common issues, while encouraging young architects to settle in the region. Traditional architectural practice contexts are also accepted.
The first BFC HMONP class with its jury, November 2025
The five accredited ADEs: Grégoire Fildier, Valentin Kottelat, Luce Lachaize, Gabriel Pernot Du Breuil, Morgane Shanyungu, and their jury: Jean-Paul Harduin, CROA BFC vice-president, Nicolas Beyret, ENSA Nancy teacher, Adèle Ribstein, Besançon practitioner, Minna Nordström and Thomas Nouallier (absent from photo) ENSAPLV teachers and HMONP educational coordinators, and also on the photo, Merril Sinéus, ENSAPLV teacher and HMONP educational coordinator – Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. – © Angèle Launay
History
The scheme was initially based on a survey by CROA BFC of structures likely to welcome Architectes Diplômés d’État (ADE) for their Mise en Situation Professionnelle: of the forty or so responses received, the majority had never welcomed an ADE for training, due to organizational difficulties, cost or a lack of guidelines. Exchanges with partners enabled us to explore concrete solutions.
The first class was born in 2024-2025: five ADEs based in local structures (in Dijon, Beaune, Vesoul, Dole and Besançon) enrolled at ENSAPLV. The training combined two course sessions in Paris (twice a fortnight, in January and June) and ten monthly follow-up sessions, organized partly in Paris and partly in Burgundy-Franche-Comté. The five briefs dealt with current issues in the profession: wood as a material, precision and detail, mastery of use, the architect in rural areas, and the architect as “bridge-builder”.
On November 13, 2025, the five examinations were held in Besançon, on the premises of CROA BFC: five accreditations were issued. The day was rounded off by a round-table discussion on the benefits of teaching architecture in the regions.
For 2025-2026, three ADEs will be continuing along the same path, two of them as part of quadripartite agreements involving several host structures.
The year 2026-2027 will be the third year of the five-year experiment.
The jury is made up of professors from architecture schools (including ENSAPLV), a representative of the Ordre des Architectes de Bourgogne-Franche-Comté and a local practitioner.
How do I register?
Applications for HMONP 2026-2027 are now open.
The scheme is aimed both at Architectes Diplômées d’État (ADE) wishing to prepare their HMONP in the region, and at structures willing to host them, alone or in groups.
The work placement lasts six months full-time, and is formalized by a multi-party agreement between the school, the ADE and the host organization(s). Each program is validated by a committee, and an agreement is drawn up before the MSP begins.
- Interested structures (architecture, urban planning and landscape design agencies, contracting authorities, CAUE, construction companies, design offices, materials suppliers, etc.) can contact CROA BFC via their list: “Obtaining an HMONP in Burgundy-Franche-Comté – Census of agencies and structures”.
- ADEs wishing to take part in this program are invited to contact ENSAPLV, which will help put candidates and host structures in touch with each other. If you have any questions or would like to express your interest – whether you are an ADE or a host organization – please write to :
Administrative contact
Access the contact directory- Department for the organization of training, schooling and student lifeFlanders site - Office 8 - Esc. 1A, 3rd floor 01 44 65 23 20chantal.monestier@paris-lavillette.archi.fr
Chantal Monestier
Training and administrative manager / HMONPPost-master's, continuing education and professional training