Presque Rien

Led by the acclaimed French designer Erwan Bouroullec, the workshop 'Presque Rien' unfolded as an exploration of design possibilities within the setting of his estate and recently renovated Burgundy farm. The project envisioned an open canvas, encouraging ECAL’s Bachelor Industrial Design students, to diverge from traditional problem-solving.

The workshop leveraged the site’s potential and its unique attributes — an isolated landscape with space, nature interactions, and a public dimension. Here, agile, effective, and relevant methods took precedence over industry norms, embodying a performative lightness and focusing on minimalism.

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The essence was to provide creative freedom, encouraging the students to draw inspiration from the ordinary yet multifaceted environment and to diverge from traditional process. Insisting on the discovery of novel methods while allowing the use of on-site materials or energies, interventions were required to leave no trace, demanding a light and respectful approach.

Emphasizing the bond with the location and its essence, the students engaged in extensive walks in the forest, bonfires, and discussions with local craftsmen, foresters, farmers and manufacturer.

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The workshop's outcomes ranged from tangible constructions to ephemeral interventions, drawing inspiration from resources at hand like water, wind, wood, and discarded items. The final showcase takes the form of process videos, which not only capture the workshop's diverse typologies of creations but also influence a broader protocol of socialization, advocating for harmonious living through purposeful design.