The method
Designing a place without visiting it.
Remote is not a fallback: it is what lets us work for Geneva, Dubai or Sydney from France — at the same level of rigour, with documents that leave nothing to interpretation.
01 — What we need from you
- Existing plans, or a survey — done by you following our protocol, or by a local surveyor.
- Photos and a video of the place — framed by the same protocol: the angles, the heights, the details that matter.
- Technical constraints — utilities, access, building or shopping-centre regulations.
- Your numbers — what the place must produce: traffic, basket, covers, workstations.
02 — The path, in nine milestones
You act twice. The rest, you receive.
Milestones 2 and 5 are yours: handing over the site data, choosing the direction. Milestones 4 to 7 — the heart of the craft — run entirely remotely.
Project definition
The frame: use, audience, constraints, budget.
Together, on a call
Site data handover
Plans, photos, measurements — following the provided protocol.
You
Site visit, if needed
Checking what documents can’t show — frequent on existing spaces, contractual with some clients.
baair, on site
Moodboards & intent
The possible directions, in images.
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Selection & direction
The choice, settled — in writing.
You decide
Design draft
The project, drawn.
baair
Review & corrections
The adjustments, back and forth.
Together
Final design
The project, settled.
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Deliverables
Plans, schedules, boards, files — ready for tender pricing.
baair
03 — What happens on site
We don’t pretend never to come. We come when it counts.
And it counts more often than you’d think: whenever documents leave a doubt no photo can lift, we travel — that is milestone 3, and there is nothing exceptional about it. Some framework contracts, with property groups in particular, include two contractual site meetings: one at project kick-off, one at handover. In between, the ground is held by the local partner — contractor, fitter or partner architect — who follows the site daily and flags what needs our eyes. We limit travel; we don’t exclude it.
04 — Proof by places
Twenty-eight cities, twelve countries, one method.
Every ink square is a delivered project. The French density says where we’re rooted; the rest says the method travels — from La Baule to Tokyo, without lowering the bar.
Inset — Europe, in detail
Cities
28
Countries
12
Since
20 years
From La Baule, the studio has designed for New York, Tokyo, Sydney and Yanbu — framed surveys, decision calls, files contractors execute without guessing. The map is not an ambition: it’s the track record.
05 — The real questions
What if the survey is wrong?
The protocol we provide exists to prevent it: cross-checked dimensions, framed photos and video, named control points. Critical dimensions are double-checked before anything is drawn — and if a doubt remains, milestone 3 is there for that: we come and verify, and we can even propose a 3D scan to build a digital model of the place.
Who controls the site?
Contractors run their works, a local partner — a contractor, fitter or partner architect — holds the ground, and we oversee the design on drawings, photos and calls. We are not a construction manager, and we say so upfront.
How do I validate a material without touching it?
Boards do the visual sorting; for what is judged by hand — a grain, a relief, a hue — suppliers ship samples straight to you, and we decide on a call, samples side by side.
Is a video call really enough to understand each other?
The call never carries the project alone: every step produces a document — boards, plans, decision notes — and every decision is written down. What is drawn and dated doesn't get relitigated three weeks later.
Do you ever come on site?
Often, yes. Milestone 3 triggers whenever information is missing — frequent on existing spaces. And some framework contracts include two site meetings: one at kick-off, one at handover. We come at the right moment rather than out of habit — that is the whole difference.
What do I actually gain?
The project's budget goes to the project — not to travel expenses. Add the absence of geographic scheduling constraints, and access to expertise that may not exist in your region. Distance is a working framework — not a discount on rigour.
What’s next
Thirty minutes is enough to scope a project.
A video call, your space, your constraints — and you leave with a first informed opinion. No commitment, no detours.