3. The Architect: Nicolas Dorval-Bory

In this episode of “On Lightness” I am talking to Nicolas Dorval-Bory, who was recently announced Director of the ENSA Versailles Architecture School. He is based in Paris, where we met in his architecture office to talk about lightness. He challenged a lot of views I had, which was very enjoyable.

This episode was moderated and produced by Leon Hidalgo.

The following article is meant as an informational extension of the podcast episode:

Lightness¹ the quality of having little weight

Contemplating the fatness of our built environment, Nicolas compared it to a heavy boat, that in the ocean of extreme future weathers, will be harder to topple. Meaning, we need some heavyness for resilience, but in a balanced system combined with lightness -much like the relationship between the heavy fireplace and the light facade of the mentioned David Ogden House.

Asked about a project where revealing forces played a role, Nicolas mentioned the Kooperative Großstadt Project, where gravity played a big role in establishing a superposition of structural systems getting lighter with added floors.

One of the early projects, called “Paysage en Exil” was an homage to the Blur Building by Diller Scofidio, as well as to the work of known architects Lacaton & Vassal and Gardener Gilles Clément.

Nicolas states that the apparent lightness of this project, much like in the Environmental Bubble of Rayner Banham, is opposed by an invisible heaviness of technological infrastructure and energy intensive material use.

lightness² the state of being light in color or shade

Asking Nicolas about light, he quickly stated that light is a term, that is too general for such a complex topic, and that specifying and deepening knowledge of certain aspects of the electromagnetic spectrum is a first step to revealing and working with the beauty of it.

lightness³ being carefree or feeling without burden

As a hobby astrologer, Nicolas enjoys looking at the sky. It gives him a feeling of lightness. Like any feeling of lightness, he states, it comes with a strong counter-feeling of heaviness—in this case, the unimaginable mass of the universe.

Although never visiting the Blur building, it has become a turning point for Nicolas in architecture, as it showed the possibility of turning a climatic condition (one that reminded him of his childhood) into a tangible structure, which opened a whole new world. This immaterial world was further expanded during the years working as a teaching assistant for Philippe Rahm.

Ultimately, Nicolas thinks that working as an architect and as a professor is not too different. In both professions, undertaking research in a group constellation is the foundation for any project.