the essential
Doing better with less is one of the pillars of the Happy and Creative Frugality movement which is taking shape in Aveyron.
In view of the economic, ecological and financial situation, the movement of happy and creative Frugality appears more than necessary to respond to Man's place on Earth. From this awareness initiated by architects, town planners, landscapers, engineers, etc. the movement of Happy and Creative Frugality was born.
The manifesto
The movement for happy and creative Frugality was built around the manifesto of the same name, launched on January 18, 2018 by Dominique Gauzin-Müller (architect-researcher), Alain Bornarel (engineer) and Philippe Madec (architect and urban planner). Recognizing “the heavy share of builders” in the current disasters, this manifesto calls for the development of human establishments that are frugal in terms of energy, materials and technicality, creative and happy for the earth and all of its inhabitants, human and non-human. , respected. This international movement gave birth to local groups, supported by the Happy Frugality association. Visits, conferences, meetings, workshops, training, publications, etc. the movement is open to everyone, to professionals engaged in the “metamorphosis of the act of building” and the “housekeeping revolution”, but also to all citizens wishing to see the development of other ways of inhabiting territories.
This movement is based on four commitments: (to) engage (no longer administer), satisfy (no longer consume), rehabilitate (no longer build), spare (no longer develop) presented in the work “Frugal commune, the revolution of housekeeping” published in March 2022.
In Aveyron, a group was created, led by Stéphane Robiquet. “I enjoyed my studies but the transition to practice was not compatible with my way of viewing the profession,” confides the man who converted to being a baker in Comps-La-Grand-Ville before returning to his first design by opening “L’atelier rouge” as an eco-architect in 2021 in Marcillac. “This movement made sense in the context, I signed the manifesto. This network also including farmers, artisans, manufacturers, shows that it is possible to practice the profession differently. »
In parallel with his job, or rather in addition to project management, Stéphane Robiquet is also an energy auditor. By integrating the office of the Aveyron architects' union with “the desire to raise awareness of this approach, to create something else. »And it works. Some 35 people from different trades have joined the movement in Aveyron, which notably organizes “frugal Fridays”. A meeting which allows you to discover other techniques for sustainable construction (quarry visit, raw earth material, etc.) or even artisans aware of this approach such as Émile Lanselle, French mass stove manufacturer on measurement and craftsmanship in Castanet. Wood, straw, hemp, the means and local sectors exist to “do better with less. »
And as Stéphane Robiquet sums it up: “From a constraint to make it a project. » He has just received the project, that of a house made of wood and straw in Auzits. Far from that of the little pigs, this one, compared with other models, turns out to be less energy intensive and therefore less expensive over time. This is the time that the Happy and Creative Frugality movement must fight for. “We have to learn to slow down, focus on quality rather than quantity,” continues Stéphane Robiquet, also aware of the difficulties. The weight of habits, injections that have to be done quickly. For the moment, he works 95% for individuals and the wording eco-architect written on the front of his “Atelier rouge” proves to be a first filter. As if to raise awareness. And after? “Agree to enter into another process. » While the construction industry is in crisis with 14,000 jobs lost in three years in Occitania, “from chaos a dancing star is born” wrote Nieztsche. After the crisis, resilience. Public finances are falling, the frugal economy is falling sharply, right?
The CAUE is in the loop
The Council of Architecture, Town Planning and the Environment (CAUE) of Aveyron is closely following this movement. Proof of this is the exhibition organized on the subject last November in Rodez. At the same time, visits were organized to show concrete examples, such as the crèche and early childhood relay designed by Olivier Rigal, architect in Espalion within the Orra workshop, the spinning mill in Camarès which produces sheep wool insulation or the Auzits wood and straw house by Stéphane Robiquet.
