About weaving links

After 4 years working in architectural studios in Geneva, I’ve decided to quit the daily office environment to concentrate for some months on projects which would give me the opportunity to weave professional links with Armenia.

Being an architect and Armenian at the same time leads to exploration, and the will to do something. Whether it is from a social aspect, with the idea that everyone deserves a safe and cozy environment, or for the cultural heritage, with the will to give a second life to all the abandoned things that we see or protect our medieval churches in danger. Architects are never at rest and at peace in Armenia, and their eyes are always filled with beauty and inspiration wherever they go. During 2 intense months this summer, I had the opportunity to combine work, volunteering, and holidays.

Goris, renovation, healthcare system, and dedicated souls

I’ve dedicated myself to two professional projects.

The first one is the renovation of a rehabilitation center for children in Goris for French/Armenian NGO Santé Arménie, for which we have been working for around 1 year already. I had the opportunity to be in charge of doing the bridge between the will of the medical corpus and the local architect and constructor, and to coordinate the renovation.

The main challenge of this project was to make an existing soviet one-stair building accessible for people with handicaps, to face humidity problems, and to answer to the local prerogatives; not always easy when their structure is not clear in the country. This experience allowed us to rethink the space distribution a little bit, get familiar with medical equipment, local techniques, and laws of construction.

Searching for adapted materials such as minimal tiles or an adapted kitchen for handicaps in Armenia is not always as easy as in Switzerland, it was quite challenging, but with some dedicated people around me, it made things easier. Staying at the French-Armenian Cardiovascular Centre of Goris along with physiotherapists and doctors also allowed me to get more familiar with their professions and their daily needs, and discover incredible souls in Goris. The renovation part is finished, we are looking forward now to finalizing the interior design.

Yerevan, stones, exchanges, and academic relations

The second work was the Summer School “Learning By Stone” in Yerevan, 10 days exploring the use of the stone in Armenia with 10 students from Switzerland and 10 from Armenia.

This project was led by HEAD – Genève Swiss school, in collaboration with TUMO Studios and NUACA (National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia).

Under the direction of Irma Cilacian, teacher at HEAD – Genève, I was happy to be in charge of the program, logistics, and to provide pedagogical assistance.

In Armenia, stone has long been a source of creativity. From the countless medieval churches to the standardized facades of Soviet-era blocks, and from ornamental elements to the unique designs of public fountains, stone has played a central role in the country’s cultural heritage. In Switzerland, however, stone construction was somewhat neglected by the building industry in the 20th century. As a sustainable and enduring resource, it is crucial to rediscover and pass on the associated know-how to future generations.

Participants explored this material through its history and the know-how associated with its use. The program included visits, lectures, and practical work with tuff stone. Each student was given a cube of 25x25x25 cm, they explored this material through craftsmanship and had to develop their own design reflection. The participants’ work was showcased at the end of the summer school in an open exhibition associated with the NPATATAK Festival in Yerevan.

This Summer School was also a crucial program to put in place academic relations between the two countries, such as exchange programs, common research projects, and more. We organized meetings with the representatives of the NUACA school, in presence of the Swiss Ambassador Lukas Rosenkranz, and a meeting with Marie Lou Papazian from TUMO Center and Svéta Barseghian from TUMO Studios.

Learn more about the project here.

Meghri, mapping, figs, and exploration

A third project right before the summer school, but this time fully voluntarily, allowed me to learn more about Meghri. As part of the summer camp of the NGO “Terre et Culture”, I’ve led a short mapping workshop for children and teenagers called “MER MEGHRI” with the help of my friend Shant Sharoian, Armenian designer from Syria based in Yerevan. By mapping some points of attractions, whether it is the cultural monuments or their favorite spots of the city, this project allowed us to get more aware of the beauty of Meghri and surroundings, and get familiar with its history and its people.

Meghri is the southernmost city of Armenia, right at the border of Iran. Although it’s a “little piece of paradise” and the fig season makes it more and more beautiful in August, we realized that few tourists go there. This city has a big potential, and having a look at its cultural heritage is crucial in the geopolitical context we are in now.

This workshop allowed us also to instruct some basics of urbanism to the children and get them attentive to the notion of scale, answering basic questions such as: what defines a city? How is your city composed?

Dance, mountain, and djash

Balancing these projects was not without stress, but it was compensated by days full of culture and holy landscape exploration.

I tried as much as possible to join the traditional dance classes of my teacher, who taught me a lot while I was doing Birthright Armenia in 2017. Thanks to him, I’ve now started a group in Geneva, with the will to transmit as much as possible our unique heritage, unfortunately not well known in the diaspora.

And for dance lovers, let’s admit that Yerevan is really great in summer: big gatherings in front of Kaskad organized by Karin folk Group at the end of each month, Ari Pari initiatives in the parks of Yerevan, Gutan festival… and more!

One of the highlights of the trip was the ascension of Khustup I did right after the Meghri workshop. I’ve joined the group organized by my dance teacher who is also a professional guide. Most of the participants were from his dance group, which made this weekend unique. Among this group are two of my best friends from Paris, who are now living in Armenia.

While this journey was mainly focused on the Syunik region, I couldn’t spend that much time in Armenia and not go to Ijevan, the city of my heart, on which I did my master's research in 2020. I also went to say hi at the village of Akhnaghbyur, a small village of the Tavush region where the volunteering organization “Arménie, Terre de Vie” from AGBU was renovating the primary school. In July I had the opportunity to present my master's thesis about Ijevan at AHA Collective, a great way to connect with other architects and cultural heritage defenders.

I’m now back in Geneva, focusing on work, while looking forward to future professional projects weaving bridges with Armenia.