Hiru banks on Arkinova’s ecosystem

Recently established at the Arkinova Business Generator in Anglet to benefit from its dynamic ecosystem, young architectural firm Hiru is developing its expertise through unsolicited projects, and buildings that respect the local context of each site.

Axelle Lieux, Emmanuel Liang and Antoine Pradier met in the lecture theatres of the Bordeaux School of Architecture. They all passed their ‘Architect HMONP’ degree allowing them to manage projects in their own name, and worked for several years before creating their firm at the start of 2015 on the Basque coast. 

When the opportunity arose to move to the brand new Arkinova Business Generator, the three co-managers of Hiru saw it as ‘a way to join a dynamic ecosystem’. Since December 2016, they have occupied an office in the modern and bright building.

Current projects by the architects, specialised in urban design, have mostly been commissioned by regional authorities. Among their first projects is a local school and a children’s daycare centre in Béarn.

For these architects, it is important to ‘respect and understand the architectural style of the site’s surroundings for each project, but also to involve local sub-contractors’. Having gained a perfect understanding of the demands and challenges of sustainable construction, they are also ‘aware of the economy, and the role of architecture in social integration.’

In addition to their commissions, they are working on their own projects and unsolicited proposals. Take for example the idea of a temporary habitat on the ramparts of Bayonne, an observatory on the Gironde estuary, and designs for detached houses. 

Website:http://www.hiru.fr