Biography
In a time of rapid specialization, Hannes Mayer builds bridges between academia and practice, between reflection and making, between science, art, and architecture.
Combining his expertise in digital technologies with a deep interest in natural resources, he develops projects where traditional construction methods and cutting-edge technologies contribute to an ecological architecture of unprecedented beauty.
From 2016 to 2022, he led Gramazio Kohler Research at ETH Zürich, a leading research group in robotics and digital technologies in architecture, and directed the Master of Advanced Studies program in Architecture and Digital Fabrication. Based on this research, he curated exhibitions exploring the digital future of construction.

Reasearch Projet conducted at the Foundation
During his residency, Hannes aims to make use of the abundant local resources of oak offcuts (used in local cooperages) and to demonstrate—through a building‑scale prototype—how these small wooden elements can be transformed into resources for an ecological form of architecture.
This type of architecture combines vernacular expertise, local material flows, and advanced 3D computational design methods. The goal is to address a critical gap in the region’s material cycle and to bring advanced design knowledge into the local construction culture.

Results of the residency
During his residency, Hannes visited cooperages in the Cognac region and discovered their production techniques. The resource they use (Limousin oak) is harvested for its best parts, while the rest becomes low‑value waste (often used as fuel).
By collecting non‑compliant staves and wood scraps, he uses a 3D app projected in space to virtually construct a micro‑architecture and determine piece formats and assembly volumes.
In doing so, he brings together local know‑how and resources with technologies imported from high‑tech research laboratories.

Inclusion in Labo Almanach
Hannes Mayer’s work is highly contextual: it requires local resources (here, deposits of wood scraps and downgraded staves) as well as a site for building a micro‑architecture demonstrator and mediation tool (an architectural structure located on the Fondation Martell site).
His use of technology combines semi‑artisanal appropriations of software with high‑level computational needs.
This project aligns with a strategy for identifying waste streams in a region where barrel production is an intensive industry, yet whose material reuse remains underdeveloped. In this sense, the architect’s sensitive approach—combined with a thoughtful use of technology—proposes an alternative pathway for small‑scale local construction

Resources involved
• Incon.ai, Zurich, Switzerland (augmented reality application)
• Tonnellerie Martell at Lignères, Rouillac (expertise and supplier of staves)
• Tonnellerie Taransaud, Merpins (supplier of stave trimmings)
• Tournerie du Verron, Rouillac (production of wooden dowels and reclaimed oak nails)
• Gael Pernot, Architecte, Cognac (local ecosystem)
• Joseph Peeters (wood construction advisor)