Ouvertures is the first monograph on the multifarious work by the young architectural office Powerhouse Company. Originally a printed book, this digital version contains interesting extra material. The added videos, sketches, building pictures and images provide a behind the scene insight into the Powerhouse Company way of work.
Six years ago, Charles Bessard (*1970 in Paris, France) and Nanne de Ru (*1976 in Wageningen, The Netherlands) founded Powerhouse Company for architecture, design, and research with offices in Rotterdam and Copenhagen. Featuring 14 selected projects—from designs to finished buildings—this publication presents the architects’ special, so-called integrated approach.
Through key concepts such as context, collaboration, design, and detail, Bessard and de Ru elucidate their understanding of contemporary architecture, one that can satisfy the requirements of urban life in terms of aesthetics and function alike. In order to do this, the range of architectural possibilities does not always have to be exhausted; sometimes simple, high-quality solutions are preferable. This goal manifests in the Powerhouse Company’s buildings and becomes palpable in the photographs taken by Bas Princen and the visualizations by MIR.