Hybridisation of the profession – New alliances for an infrastructural innovation of the architectural project

Authors

  • Elodie Nourrigat École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Montpellier (France)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.69143/2464-9309/1912026

Keywords:

infrastructural innovation, hybridisation, architectural design, systemic transformation, professional repositioning

Abstract

This contribution proposes a reinterpretation of innovation in architecture through the contemporary transformations affecting professional practices. It argues that the current crisis in the management of the project and in the positioning of the profession does not arise from a deficit of technological progress, but from the fragmentation of procedural and decision-making frameworks. Through a systemic analysis of regulatory, digital, and institutional transformations, the research introduces the concept of ‘infrastructural innovation’, understood as a reconfiguration of the cognitive, organisational, and relational structures of the architectural project. From this perspective, ‘new alliances’ define the conditions for a hybrid approach capable of integrating complexity, promoting transdisciplinarity, and transforming the modes of architectural production in response to socio-ecological challenges.

Article info

Received: 28/02/2026; Revised: 05/05/2026; Accepted: 10/05/2026

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Author Biography

Elodie Nourrigat, École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Montpellier (France)

Architect and Doctor HDR, she is a Full Professor at the École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Montpellier (France), where she directs the ‘Métropoles du Sud’ Master’s programme. Associate researcher at Lab’URBA and Co-founder of NBJ Architectes, she integrates professional practice and academic research. Her work critically analyses contemporary transformations of territories and architectural practices, positioning the project both as an intellectual enquiry and as a constructive act.
E-mail: e.nourrigat@nbj-archi.com

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Published

30-06-2026

How to Cite

Nourrigat, E. (2026) “Hybridisation of the profession – New alliances for an infrastructural innovation of the architectural project”, AGATHÓN | International Journal of Architecture, Art and Design, 19, pp. 22–35. doi: 10.69143/2464-9309/1912026.

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