Antoine Basile
Architect D.E / HMONP,
DSA Architecture and Heritage,
ENSA Paris Val-de-Seine
After completing a master's degree in urban planning at Paris-IV Sorbonne in 2013-2015, Antoine Basile obtained an equivalent degree in architecture from ENSA-Paris Val-de-Seine in 2018, as well as a teaching qualification in May 2020. He embarked on a career in heritage with the DSA architecture at ENSA – Paris Belleville, which enabled him to meet many professionals in the field and explore the contemporary world of architecture.
In search of critical regionalism and a revaluation of the vernacular, he reflects on heritage issues by questioning local know-how and construction techniques.
In 2021, Antoine Basile and architect Ulysse Rousselet founded Atelier Géminé, an architecture firm that champions a sensitive approach that prioritises what is "already there" in order to preserve heritage and living things.
Their work is based on research into the sensitive elements governing the project. Site, context, know-how and materials are all constraints that enable them to bring it to life.
For them, the medium of video is a research tool that allows them to remain alert and to test their construction practices, both in terms of the use of local materials and traditional know-how.
The Sea Ranch : une restauration architecturale en milieu océanique
“Au début des années 1960, sur le littoral rugueux du nord de la Californie, une petite communauté lance un programme d’habitation où l’architecture est résolument tournée vers son environnement. Comme une promesse de vie meilleure, qui résonne encore un demi-siècle plus tard.”
Sophie Pinet
Antoine Basile intends to conduct a study on Sea Ranch Building Condominium 1.
This complex, listed on the US National Register of Historic Places on 29 July 2005, reflects a resolutely modern approach through its authenticity and harmonious design. Located at Highway 1, The Sea Ranch, California, 95497, it is now a valuable heritage site for Sonoma County.
Antoine Basile plans to trace its evolution through an analysis of its condominium regulations, regular maintenance, any restorations and future enhancement projects.
Condominium 1 is located on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It is a complex of ten inhabited units, designed to be perceived as a single structure. Its design is inspired by barns and other agricultural buildings. Its wooden structure is clad in vertical redwood siding, with vertical forms resembling mining structures anchoring a series of sloping roofs that descend towards the ocean and are pierced by skylights. The windows are simple openings without trim or mullions. On the hillside side, the building wraps around a courtyard housing the units' garages. The interior spaces showcase the full range of design elements developed by the collective of architects and artists: MLTW [Charles Willard Moore (1925-1993), Donlyn Lyndon (1936), William Turnbull (1935-1997), Richard Whitaker (1919-2021)].
For Antoine Basile, the main objective of this research is to gain an in-depth understanding of the conservation strategies adopted in maritime environments, with a focus on the management of specific pathologies that may arise and the measures needed to mitigate them effectively.
Antoine Basile proposes to conduct a series of documentary interviews aimed at archiving this project and the subtleties of its implementation, as well as the maintenance and restoration efforts that have been put in place since its creation.