Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2024 competition participants - Nathan Bonneville

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to the prize winner of our "Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2024 competition – Nathan Bonneville!

Nathan Bonneville

Please tell us about your company (when it was founded, where it is based, how many employees, etc) Alternatively, if you do not have a company, please give us some insights on your own professional/academia background.

Épigraphe is an architecture firm founded in 2019 by the emerging architects Pierre-Charles Gauthier and Nathan Bonneville, we are now a team of fifteen professionals, architects and collaborators. Located within Montreal’s suburban area in the historical town heart of Beloeil, it offers a visionary and critical point of view of the development of the built fabric and the active role that architecture plays in creating aspirational and inclusive urban, suburban, and regional communities of tomorrow. Épigraphe stands out for its ability to imagine architecture that transcend its utilitarian function by offering inspiring and engaging places that contribute to sustainably realizing the full potential of the communities. Through hyper-collaboration and a long-term humanitarian vision of development, the firm is part of the socio-ecological transition and creates impact-driven architecture that is sustainable and will have a positive bearing on communities and ecosystems for generations to come.

Brief information about the projects that you/your company have been involved with. For instance, what scale have you focused on/preferred, any significant projects where the company/ individuals have been Involved?

Épigraphe’s practice primarily focuses on public architecture projects ranging from secondary schools to childcare facilities, and temporary design installations. Our swift expansion has enabled us to collaborate with significant consortia. For the start of the 2023 school year alone, our team aided in the delivery of four new secondary schools in Quebec. This package of 4 schools was carried out using a design-build-finance (CCF) fast-track delivery method, on behalf of the Société québécoise des infrastructures. Together, we have created a contemporary infrastructure that will serve as a springboard for future generations, helping them achieve their aspirations.

What does architecture mean to you and what is the role of an architect in your society?

Architecture has the ability to strengthen communities and ecosystems. To craft spaces that fulfill the complex, and often conflicting, needs of society, the environment, and our communities. Architects are responsible for creating inclusive, accessible and safe spaces for our communities. We reflect public interest while interpreting the artistic expressions of what society values.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

Épigraphe participates in architecture competitions to share our ideas and ambitions of the future we are working to build. They provide a creative platform that allows us to dream of places that have yet to exist. They allow us to challenge preconceived notions of how our built and natural environment’s function, and what they look like. They allow us to practice our methods of visual communication, creating immersive media that illustrates atmospheres and social interactions, inviting others to imagine themselves in the words we aspire to build.

What advice would you give to individuals who struggle to decide whether it would be beneficial for them to participate in architecture competitions?

Architecture competitions are a great way to get your ideas out into the world, and into the eyes and minds of people that might be looking for exactly what you have to offer. Engaging in competitions can enhance skills, foster creativity, and provide networking opportunities within the industry. It can also serve as a portfolio builder, showcasing innovative and bold ideas that represent your values and hopes for our future.