OVERVIEW
Launched by boundary-pushing French architect Odile Decq and Matteo Cainer, the Confluence Institute was established with an aim to break the rules and defy the expectations of traditional architectural pedagogy. To this end, its transdisciplinary approach draws from five themes – neurosciences, new technologies, social action, visual art and physics – taught in a dynamic curriculum that is delivered in French and English and merges theory and hands-on learning. The five-year program, which results in the equivalent of a RIBA Part II diploma, consists of two cycles, plus advanced research.
Alongside extensive workshops and tutorials designed to enrich their work, Confluence Institute also gives students access to a vast range of practical tools like animation, model making and photography. The Paris campus, less than a 10 minute walk from iconic local landmarks such as the Place des Vosges and the Picasso Museum, boasts a well-outfitted fabrication lab and an integrated research space, better known as the “think tank,” available to all students. In this latter “place for meeting, for exchange and for production,” students collaborate with each other or with lecturers on their projects.
Notable alumni
Francesco Messina, Nhaila Chin Foo, Charles Ober
Notable faculty
Odile Decq, Peter Cook, Riccardo de Ostos, Aaron Sprecher and Chandler Ahrens
