arba

arba, established in Paris in 2007, has emerged as a pioneering practice in sustainable and environmentally-responsive architecture over seventeen years of professional excellence. Formalized as an architectural firm in 2011, the studio is led by founding partners architects Jean Baptiste Barache (ENSA Paris-Malaquais, 1998) and Sihem Lamine (École Spéciale d'Architecture, 2002), alongside associate architect Alexandre Simon (ENSA Paris-La Villette, 2017).

arba is dedicated to developing new solutions aimed at building sustainably, affordably, and in close relationship with the natural and built environment. The firm commits to creating functional, minimal, and optimal architectural interventions, where their dual mandate of "providing shelter" and "revealing views" are inseparable, establishing architecture as a mediating device between inhabitants and their natural environment.

The studio's architectural philosophy compares buildings to precision instruments rather than conventional structures. Like musical instruments, lines and forms are pure and minimal while achieving optimal usage. Inhabitants are naturally involved in a game of uses and interactions with the garden, neighbors, landscape, sun, and light.

arba's design methodology integrates budgetary constraints and urban regulations as generative design parameters rather than limiting factors. Through continuous refinement processes, all traces of intention are eliminated, like vernacular architecture. Here, what takes priority are the users, landscape, site, materials, and craftmanship. Their project portfolio demonstrates consistent commitment to sustainable construction methodologies, employing local materials and passive environmental strategies, establishing new benchmarks for contemporary architectural practice.