BAU LÜTZ
Genthod. Recover, prepare, reinstall
SWITZERLAND · CANTON OF GENEVA · COMPLETED WORK
In Genthod, work on the existing building involved elements that needed correcting and materials that could still be used. Joshua chose to recover the tiles, giving careful attention to the preparation needed to reinstall them. Four photographs document some of the work, from cleaning the tiles to the veranda: moments from the completed intervention, not a full before-and-after record.
Choosing to retain
Recovering a material starts with taking care of it. In the opening photograph, two workers are working on the tiles by hand outdoors. Tools, pieces set down and work surfaces reveal the attention given to each element. Cleaning and preparation were part of the process that enabled the tiles to be reused in the work.
The decision to retain them runs through the whole intervention. Existing material is not automatically treated as waste: it becomes a possibility to examine, piece by piece. In this case, recovery required manual preparation. Reuse takes tangible form in the relationship between that initial choice and the care given to the pieces.
Preparing each element
The next two images show the work at different scales. One frames the workbench set up outside; the other moves closer to a kneeling worker using a tool on a tile held at an angle. Work on the individual element continues within the context of the building and the surrounding surfaces.
Reinstalling a material means considering how the recovered piece relates to the place it needs to fit. The workbench scene and the close-up convey this attention through different gestures. Reuse is not just a quality stated in a design: on site, it involves the available pieces, their preparation and the care with which they are handled.
The veranda and the relationship between the parts
The landscape photograph takes the view beneath the veranda roof, where timber elements and two workers can be seen during the work. The scale differs from that of the tiles: the frame takes in the roof, the openings and the relationship with the adjoining spaces.
The veranda thus places the intervention in a broader context. The material is considered not simply as a separate piece, but in relation to its surroundings. The photograph preserves that relationship, showing a stage of work within the existing space.
Care that begins with a choice
Genthod illustrates an approach to transformation that starts with what can continue to be used. Recovery and correction require a close look at the parts before deciding how to intervene. The Bau Lütz method develops this attention by bringing together the available information, alternatives and checks relevant to each commission.
Hand-cleaning tiles recovered for reuse.
Preparing the tiles at the workbench.
Working on a tile by hand during the intervention.
A stage of the work in the veranda.