Encore Heureux Architectes

Eyes on Talents member, Encore Heureux Architectes, were nominated for the European Prize of Architecture Philippe Rotthier 2024 for their project Super-Cayrou, a work of art-refuge built entirely of dry stone in the Parc Naturel Régional des Causses du Quercy, France. Local tradition calls ‘cayrous’ the piles of pebbles that dot the land, the result of field stripping and farming activities. The stones of this microarchitecture are steeped in history, taking us back to the time when men built dry stone walls and small shelters. With Super-Cayrou, slow rhythm and vernacular heritage give rise to a contemporary shelter and a place for contemplation. The project is part of the "Fenêtres sur le paysage" initiative, a long-term artistic project on the GR®65, Chemin de Saint Jacques de Compostelle, created by Derrière Le Hublot in 2016.
Encore Heureux Architectes is a collective of architects founded in 2001 by Nicola Delon and Julien Choppin, later joined by Sébastien Eymard and Sonia Vu. The collective is sensitive to ecological and social issues and to the idea of sharing, and explores an architecture that is economically and ecologically sober, rich in meaning and new imagination.