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Care in Architecture and Design: A Talk at Atlanta Design Festival
September 27 at 10:30 am – 11:15 am
In 2023, architects and designers Aurélia Martin and Mathilde Van Steenkiste founded Les Grandes, a Paris-based studio dedicated to issues at the intersection of architecture, disability, and mental health. Their practice combines research, experimentation, and design to rethink how spaces can care for both their occupants and their environments, contributing to a more inclusive society.
As part of the Atlanta Design Festival’s Creative Futures Conference, Martin and Van Steenkiste will present their talk “Care in Architecture and Design: From the Circular Economy to Disability.” Drawing on projects developed in France and abroad, they will discuss their approach as practitioners committed to integrating care into architectural thinking.
Their transatlantic exploration began in 2024, when they spent three months in the United States studying innovative models of senior housing through the AIA’s Delano & Aldrich/Emerson grant. This research will culminate in a book and exhibition planned for 2026.
In 2025, the duo returns to the U.S. as Villa Albertine Atlanta residents with Quilt and Care, a project at the crossroads of healthcare research, textile design, and autism studies. During their October residency, they will collaborate with local partners to imagine how fabrics and designed objects can become tools for care and connection.
