TC Cuadernos 159 is dedicated to Brenac & Gonzalez & Associés and brings together a selection of recent works under the title Architecture 2017–2023, presenting a practice that builds its coherence through diversity, adaptability, and process.
Rather than relying on formal repetition, the studio develops a specific response to each context, where program, scale, and urban conditions become key drivers of the project. Their work is defined by the search for “elegant solutions” to complex situations, avoiding both iconic gestures and excessive simplification.
Through projects ranging from housing to public and tertiary buildings, the monograph reveals an architecture based on assemblies, volumes, and transitions, where materiality and detail add depth and precision. This approach is linked to a “thought in movement”, understood as an open process capable of integrating evolving social, urban, and environmental conditions.
With critical essays and extensive graphic documentation, this volume offers a clear insight into a practice that understands architecture as a balance between complexity, context, and adaptability, particularly relevant in today’s urban environment.
The work of Brenac & Gonzalez is distinguished by its construction rigor, artisanal approach, and focus on using materials and techniques specific to each project. This "industrial poetry" is evident in the attention to detail, choice of color palettes, finishes, and precision in design and execution of structural elements, facades, and finishes.
Highlighted works include the Chapelle International Tower in Paris, La Bastide in Montpellier, Marcel Cachin Housing in Romainville, Higher Roch Tower in Montpellier, and Marsiho Tower in Marseille. Since their last feature in this collection in 2016, TC Cuadernos 122, the world has experienced rapid changes that have impacted our relationship with the environment, intimate and public spaces, and our perception of fragility and interdependence. Brenac & Gonzalez have adeptly adapted to these transformations, offering innovative and resilient architectural solutions.
An Elegant Solution for hard equations
Jacques Lucan
Thought in Movement
Xavier Gonzalez
Brenac & Gonzalez & Associés, Behind the Style, Seek the Author
Jean-Louis Violeau
The lexical field of a production
Anabelle Hagmann
MAKING SOCIETY
The Fayat Group Head Offices, Bordeaux, France
Chapelle International Tower, Paris 18, France
Simone Veil Educational Center, Rennes, France
ORGANIZING TRANSITIONS
Java Offices, Clichy Batignolles, Paris, France
Latecoere Headquarters + Pavilion, Toulouse, France
La Bastide, restaurant and services building, Parc Majoria, Pompignane-Montpellier, France
Marcel Cachin Housing, Romainville, France
Quai Ouest Offices, Boulogne-Billancourt, France
Angela Davis High School, La Plaine Saint-Denis, France
FOSTERING ACCEPTANCE
The Rosa Parks School Complex, Villeurbanne, France
Higher Roch Tower, Montpellier, France
The Marsiho Tower, Marseille, France
Jacques Chirac Library, Colombes, France
INDUSTRIAL POETRY
FLI Research Center, Saclay, France
Siège régional de Nexity, Lyon Vaise, France
Archimède, Offices and Sports Facility, Paris, France
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