Caran d'Ache

The project as a planning tool

The project constitutes a genuine master plan enabling the optimisation of the site's use and guaranteeing the objectives of the Caran d'Ache company, in harmony with the planning of the eco-neighbourhood. It also takes into account the need to offer great flexibility in order to adapt to constantly changing needs.

Functional and spatial organisation

The production workshops and their ancillary functions are located on the ground floor, offering maximum flexibility in the planning, use and development of the spaces. Above this floor is a garden terrace with beautiful views, which houses the administrative area and spaces for social gatherings and midday breaks.

The visitor area

This space is a key part of the project in terms of functionality and representativeness; it is located opposite the future green heart of the neighbourhood, with the two spaces enhancing each other. This room houses and marks the main entrance to the complex, welcoming visitors and serving as the starting point for a walk that will take them to the roof garden after visiting the exhibitions. The visitor space also plays a decisive role in the building's expression. It is presented as a transparent case, a Pandora's box whose surprises will continually renew the building's visual expression, revealing the contents of the exhibition material to the outside world.


Towards a sustainable visual identity

The architectural language aims to convey the company's values.
In addition to the environmental responsibility objectives already mentioned, the architectural and landscaping project (see landscaping concept) seeks to preserve the natural character of the rural landscape, despite the radical transformation that the neighbourhood will undergo.
The architecture proposes a language of simple, essential and precise forms that evoke a tradition of craftsmanship excellence.
These forms are brought to life through the use of natural, energy-efficient materials, such as the wooden structure that evokes the legendary Swiss building tradition, or the walls made of local earth that help to anchor the project to the site, both materially and metaphorically.
As is clearly the case with Caran d'Ache products, the expression of natural materials in their raw state also evokes the value of the manual-tactile-real as a counterbalance to the growth of the digital-visual-virtual culture.
The perception of architecture that adds the tactile to the visual is more visceral than rational; it incorporates more emotion, as does a coloured pencil as opposed to a computer. This approach offers the challenge of innovative yet timeless architecture, in the spirit of drawing and handwriting. In this sense, it is also a ‘sustainable’ architecture that seeks to transcend fashions, withstand the test of time, and connect us to future generations.