Constantin Petcou is a Paris-based architect whose work stresses the intersection between architecture, urbanism, service design and semiotics. He is co-founder together with Doina Petrescu of Atelier d’Architecture Autogérée (AAA), a professional organization which conducts actions and research on participatory urbanism and architecture which involve local residents in self-managing projects in their neighborhood, engaging in social and ecological practices, and initiating resilient networks. AAA has been laureate of Zumtobel Prize for Sustainability and Humanity 2012, recipient of the Curry Stone Design Prize 2011, the European Prize for Urban Public Space 2010, and the Prix Grand Public des Architectures contemporaines en Métropole Parisienne 2010, and has been a finalist at the EIB Social Innovation Tournement 2014.
We talked with Constantin Petcou of Atelier d’Architecture Autogérée on utilizing the community engagement for generating tactical urbanism projects.