In Sinu Architectes is a French firm that makes it into the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2026, our latest annual round-up of exciting emerging architecture studios.
Who: In Sinu Architectes
Focusing on renovation and rehabilitation, In Sinu Architectes takes a truly holistic approach with each of its projects. The studio, based between Paris and Barbizon, was founded in 2024 by architects Cassandre Verdier and Elena Cadouin, who embrace architecture, interior architecture, and design as different expressions of a single project.
Their research begins with a careful study of the context, from landscape and history to any existing structure and their clients’ ways of inhabiting space. The result is a portfolio of meaningful projects that enhance the natural qualities of their respective locations.
‘Each project is an opportunity to reveal the qualities of a site, an existing building, or a landscape,’ explain the architects. ‘We are interested neither in mimicry nor in autonomous formal gestures. What matters to us is the dialogue between architecture and its context: sometimes through continuity, sometimes through contrast, always through a relationship that enhances the perception of both.’
The pair are motivated by architecture’s ability to transform the way people use a place over time, how every element and detail finds its place. ‘Our design practice naturally extends our architectural approach. We place the same importance on designing a building as we do on designing a table or a light fixture. This continuity of vision lies at the heart of our identity,’ say the duo.
The name of the practice, In Sinu (meaning ‘within the folds’), reflects this philosophy. ‘More than an in situ architecture, we seek to create an architecture that settles within the folds of a territory – sometimes through continuity, sometimes through contrast – to establish a meaningful relationship between place and project.’
What: Maison de l'Orée
Before drawing, the architects first seek to understand a place: its light, topography, materials, history, and how the finished structure will be lived in. These elements become the project's primary material. This was no different for Maison de l'Orée, a project nestled amid woods in Barbizon.
The project emerged from a simple gesture following the client’s acquisition of the woodland adjacent to the plot. The architects reoriented the house towards this forest, centring the residence within its context, rather than it being on the edge looking in.
The residence boasts an organic material palette of ochre-toned timber cladding, which mirrors the site's pine trees and foliage. Inside, the natural material palette is continued. From oak joinery and bespoke cabinetry to a fireplace of hand-cut Fontainebleau sandstone – the same stone that is found in the surrounding forest – each detail is considered.
A brushed stainless-steel kitchen island adds a contemporary touch and also reflects both daylight and the shifting shadows of the trees. The commission also required furniture, with bespoke built-in pieces and freestanding elements to align with the design codes of the residence.
Say the architects: ‘Our approach is holistic. As architects, we conceive each project in its entirety, from its relationship to the site through to the design of the furniture and objects that inhabit it.’ Much like their ethos, Maison de l'Orée is a residence where interiors and architecture intertwine – with each other and with their context.
Why: Architects Directory 2026
When the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory was conceived in 2000, it was built as our bespoke international index of emerging architectural talent. Now in its 25th edition, our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe (now comprising over 500 alumni) champions the best and most promising young studios – a snapshot of talent showcasing inspiring work from all corners of the Earth with an emphasis on the residential realm.
This year’s anniversary survey includes 30 young studios (one for each of the 30 years of Wallpaper*), from Australia, Bahrain, Benin, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, Ecuador, Ghana, Greece, France, Ivory Coast, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, India, Morocco, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, the UK, the USA, and Vietnam. Welcome to the promise, ideas and exciting architecture of the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2026.
