singular & plural

In larger projects these days, architects are often merely service providers: under the control of those responsible for the project or the general contractors the architecture is cut and trimmed for reasons of costs - with consequences we can increasingly observe in our cities. There is a way out of this dilemma, one that strengthens the position of the architect and at the same time permits higher quality architecture, as impresively demonstrated by the architects Geninasca Delefortrie in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. They are their own clients; they identify properties with potential for development and work with the cities in question to develop building plans and concepts. They are also actively involved in financing and finding investors and hence they are able to realize architecture that is as powerful as it is sensitive to the complex urban situations in which it stands. This monograph does not so much focus on the projects as it does on showing, based on the example of Geninasca Delefortrie's particular approach, the opportunities that architecture and architects have to influence in a positive way project development, the awarding of contracts, and urban planning in general. Interviews and conversations with the architects establish the basic thematic structure. Each of the projects, including the multipurpose hall La Maladière in Neuchâtel, is assigned to a theme.