Architecture competition "European Velo Stops" honorable mention - MELT.lab

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to the winners of one of our Honorable mentions for the “European Velo Stops” competition - Ahmed Arhda, Alexandre Bellanger, Julien Blatteau and Zaur Huseyn-Zada from France!

Team MELT.lab from France

MELT.lab, a collective interested in the reuse of consumer’s daily waste, proposes projects which combine aspects of design and architecture. We are two former and two current students from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Lyon: Ahmed Arhda, Alexandre Bellanger, Julien Blatteau and Zaur Huseyn-Zada; we share an interest in recycling, product design and architectural production. Aiming to complement recycling, the collective aims to raise awareness of consumption patterns, and in particular the resulting waste among the general public. The collective is engaged in the creation of a local recycling circuit through a process of waste collection and the processing of material in the form of artisanal design.

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 company / individuals have been involved?

The MELT.lab involves multi-level design, ranging from furniture to more significant architectural features. The collective mainly focuses on objects, such as furniture, chairs, and tables which allow the experimentation of a variety of molding and casting techniques in an economy of means and materials.

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

Architecture is a discipline in which aesthetic, technique, and social and cultural thoughts can be best expressed. Through the design process, the architect interprets different questions and themes which inspire his designs. In the current context, nature and the environment are the main challenges in every field, and it is very interesting to see their impacts. For us, being an architect is a responsibility, and architecture is an opportunity to freely re-think the way we build and conceive of products, specifically by including the recycling process.

Why do you participate in architecture vision competitions?

We see architectural competitions as opportunities to showcase our philosophy. By truly including nature and society in the question, projects can only be improved.