Designing spaces that reveal a personal story

Valentine Bärg’s background and her human-centred approach make her an architect capable of creating spaces that reflect the history of the people who live in them and revisit their daily lives.

When she set up her practice in Geneva in 2010, Valentine Bärg already had thirteen years of professional experience behind her. After hesitating between studying science at the Ecole Polytechnique de Lausanne and the Beaux-Arts in Paris, she decided on a combination of the two. It was to be architecture.

Growing up in different countries and moving almost thirty times in sometimes atypical homes, these experiences left their mark on her and fed her curiosity about architecture.

“I realised the importance and influence of places. Certain places made certain periods of my life great.”

After graduating from Penninghen, she joined the team at Edouard François, a Parisian practice chosen for its pioneering dialogue with plants. Her projects included the Tower Flower in Paris. She then had the opportunity to work independently on a project for the complete restructuring of a plateau opposite Saint-Sulpice. Her work was noticed and appeared on the cover of Elle Déco magazine. Other projects soon followed. She was only twenty and felt that things were moving too fast. Although she remained attached to an urban life open to international influences, she longed for an environment close to nature. When she settled in Geneva, she was convinced that she had come to the right place.

Her influences ?

More than the great names in architecture, it’s the emotions she felt in certain places that inspire her today. The memory of the ‘black and white’ houses of her childhood in Singapore. Incredible colonial houses with multiple influences: Malay, English, Art Deco…

“There were no windows. Just shutters for light, with balconies like long corridors for air circulation. Everything was designed for comfort.”

The wonder felt in the villas designed by Horta or Gaudi, teeming with plant influences. Or, more recently, the emotional shock of the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art near Copenhagen. A unique and timeless artistic journey, where the pavilions create an indoor-outdoor dialogue between the works on display and the breathtaking beauty of the landscape overlooking the Baltic Sea. From this inspiration came the desire to bring environment, art and everyday life into harmony. This is how Valentine Bärg sees her double profession: architect and interior designer.

Initiating a dialogue – building a story

Valentine Bärg sees each project as an in-depth dialogue with her clients, based on listening and trust. She draws on the personality, needs and desires of each individual to create a framework in which the future occupants can see themselves reflected.

Relying on precision – opening up to creativity

The thinking begins with a drawing, a hand-drawn plan that Valentine Bärg explains: “Everything is connected and must fit together. The plan is very logical from the start“. This preliminary design defines the thread, the story and the integration into the site. It assesses the balance of the volumes and the correctness of the proportions, the functional needs and the technical constraints. From these requirements, the coherence and framework of the study emerge. Then it’s time for freedom and creativity.

Understanding needs – surprising beyond expectations

Some clients come to us with simple suggestions. Others have a very specific, fixed idea. For Valentine Bärg, it’s always about understanding the real needs. Suggesting unexpected solutions that take things further. From the structure to the interior details, she loves to see her clients excited by original, creative choices.