Studio ACTE

Architecture studio based in Rotterdam. Convinced of the need to explore new forms of resilient architecture, our practice is inspired by vernacular systems inviting low tech and geo-sourced designs based on reuse materials. Through a design & build method, Studio ACTE develops tools where craft and materials are the cornerstone of each project. We believe in a regenerative architecture built around a collective process, provoking social interactions. Founded by Estelle Barriol, a young French architect, the studio sets up in Rotterdam (2020) in a large warehouse in the former port of Delfshaven. Based on a multicultural crossroads between French and Dutch-German experience, the studio operates in France, Netherlands and Belgium. Through its practice, it rethinks its methods by placing the building site and the materials at the heart of the project process. The aim is to produce a sustainable, inclusive and generous architecture with a high spatial and human quality. Studio ACTE believes in craftsmanship and aesthetics as an equation towards sustainability. Rather than using standard elements, the studio focuses on applied research into materials, details and assemblies involving local craftsmanship and participatory building sites.