Made In, one of Switzerland's most exciting architectural firms, presents the quintessence of their thinking: an original and thought-provoking challenge to ideas about art, perception, and architectural design

It may sound banal, yet it is a fundamental truth of architectural design: all ideas are based on previous ideas, on their imitation, inversion, rejection, or adaptation; or on their reinterpretation or ignoration. The same applies to our visual perception and how it influences our thinking and world of ideas. It is actually true for any kind of creation and design.

Portraits: Architectural Parables traces these questions through a wealth of images from art history and everyday culture, as well as through analytical and classifying texts. With this book, François Charbonnet and Patrick Heiz, the founding partners of the highly acclaimed Swiss design firm Made In, reveal the approaches they take in their design methodology as well as in their teaching at ETH Zurich's Department of Architecture and Accademia di architettura in Mendrisio. The distinctive feature lies in the linking and collaging of mutually illuminating, yet apparently antagonistic, programs. Made In's method does not claim historical accuracy, as sources and facts are intentionally collaged to serve a reductive purpose. The focus is on the potential they see in the cross-fertilization of different images and ideas rather than on a single, all-embracing model of thought.

Named one of the Most Beautiful German Books and one of the Most Beautiful Swiss Books 2023.

Das erste Buch des vielbeachteten Schweizer Architekturbüros Made in Stellt die Methodik vor, die der Entwurfs- und Lehrtätigkeit von François Charbonnet und Patrick Heiz zugrunde liegt Führt ein in das auf Analyse und Verknüpfung von Bildern und darin transportierten Konzepten basierende Denken von Made in Verdeutlicht, wie existierende Ideen und visuelle Wahrnehmungen unsere Gedanken in Bewegung und neue Architektur-Ideen und -Entwürfe hervorbringen können

Autorentext

François Charbonnet and Patrick Heiz are the founding partners of Geneva- and Zurich-based design firm Made In. They have gained wide recognition for a range of private commissions and submissions to public competitions. They jointly teach as full Professors of Architecture and Design at ETH Zurich's Department of Architecture and also lecture at various international universities and institutions.