With nearly 25 years of experience in architectural practice, the agency draws its legitimacy and uniqueness from the combined paths of Éric Bartolo and Olivier Contré, two architects with demanding and complementary careers.


A strong foundation of expertise, forged within leading firms

Éric Bartolo began his career in major Parisian firms before co-founding BVAU (Bartolo Villemard Architecture Urbanisme) in 2006, a turning point that reshaped his vision of urban and architectural projects. Olivier Contré, on the other hand, joined Brunet Saunier Architecture, where he became a partner in 2010. He then continued his career within the Kardham group (formerly Cardete/Huet), where he founded and led the Paris architecture division as a partner. These respective experiences gave them extensive mastery of scales and contemporary project challenges, both in the healthcare sector and in sustainable urban design.


Established maturity and strong intellectual commitments

Today, their professional maturity relies not only on the diversity and complexity of the projects they have carried out but also on a deep intellectual commitment: Éric Bartolo shares his expertise as a lecturer at the École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de la Ville et des Territoires in Marne-la-Vallée, while Olivier Contré pursues recognized theoretical research, notably through his work on the typological concept of the hospital “monospace.” He is the author and co-author of several key essays on simplicity and complexity in contemporary architecture, published by Birkhäuser, CNRS Éditions, and Les Éditions du Collège de France.


A living, open, and evolving architecture

Together, they have developed a sensitive yet rigorous approach, grounded in a constant pursuit of accuracy, clarity, and contextual resonance. Their vision of architecture rejects fixity: it is conceived as a living organism, capable of absorbing the unexpected, adapting, and renewing itself. This resilience stems from ongoing dialogue with clients, users, and all stakeholders in the project. It reflects a deep ambition: to anchor each project within an extended timeframe, ensuring that architecture preserves its original qualities while remaining responsive to the transformations of its environment.


Awards and recognition

Their commitment to excellence has been recognized on several occasions:

• 2014: Silver Pyramid – GrDF Prize for the environmental quality of the Ménucourt project
  
• 2012: Europe 40 under 40 – Award granted by The European Centre for Architecture, Art, Design and Urban Studies and The Chicago Athenaeum
  
• 2001: Europan 6 – Award-winning project
  
  

Teaching and transmission

Since 2021, Éric Bartolo and Olivier Contré have been teaching in the Master 2 program at the École Spéciale d’Architecture in Paris. Their teaching, firmly rooted in practice, aims to prepare future architects for the collaborative reality of agency-based projects, particularly through the use of BIM, which they regard not merely as a technical tool but as a driver of synergy and collective intelligence.