TC CUADERNOS 169: Lacroix Chessex

Lacroix Chessex. Architecture 2012–2025

This 306-page monograph covers thirteen years of production by the Swiss practice Lacroix Chessex, founded in 2005 in Geneva by Hiéronyme Lacroix and Simon Chessex.

The volume presents a selection of projects, many of them won in open or invited competitions, including student residences, collective and single-family housing, daycare centers, social and cultural facilities, as well as urban transformations and rooftop extensions. Among the most notable are the student residence for IHEID in Geneva, the Les Jeurs house in Trient, the transformation of the Reuilly barracks in Paris, public facilities in the Jonction eco-district, and the daycare center on Route de Frontenex, among others.

Lacroix Chessex’s architecture always stems from a precise analysis of the site and unfolds without predetermined formulas. Each project finds its form in dialogue with what already exists, deciding whether to continue an existing logic or propose a clear break. Materials are presented with honesty—wood, concrete, stone, or brick—without superfluous finishes, while construction details reveal a pursuit of clarity and durability. In their transformations and rooftop extensions, the new layers are conceived as contemporary contributions that update the building, enrich its lifespan, and at the same time introduce comfort and sustainability in a natural way.

The book provides comprehensive documentation, including drawings, construction details, photographs, and an in-depth dialogue, offering insight into the trajectory and thinking of one of the most representative practices of contemporary Swiss architecture.