Having grown up as the child of two artists Vallee’s creative habits were formed early whilst she grew up

in Paris. Later deciding to pursue Architecture as a formal discipline, Vallee obtained a master’s degree

in Architecture and Scenography. The young architect goes on to say that her early experiences involved

Interestingly, perusing a masters in Scenography- the “depiction and painting of theatrical scenery” allowed Garance to delve into the world of “small architecture” and objects where she prefers to work in the medium of concrete.2 This whimsical depiction of form, space and phenomenology stems from Gaston Bachelard’s writings in the “The Poetics of Space”.

 

“I OFTEN CONSIDER MY OBJECTS AS SMALL ARCHITECTURE. THERE IS AN INTERESTING CONTRAST BETWEEN MY SMALL FEMININE BODY AND THIS HARD MATERIAL TO WORK WITH, HEAVY AND STIFF.”3 

 

“He focuses on the method of phenomenology and how it relates to architecture. It’s interesting because his findings are based on lived experience.”4 

If you’ve ever been brave enough to tackle “The Poetics of Space” you’ll be familiar with Gaston’s dissection of the human psyche in relation to architectural spaces like the attic and cellar. Gaston’s study of intimate areas within the home gives us an in-depth examination of how we experience familiar spaces, as well as the contents we introduce into our dwellings. Fast forward to 2018 Vallee, unlike Gaston implements a unique visual language through social media in her exploration of phenomenology, simultaneously introducing a new, more intimate understanding of human experience in space to her followers,

“I would like to invoke in someone a way of discovering the architecture with their body with their senses and not only with their eyes and the aesthetic of a place.”5 

 

At 24, Vallee has been able to establish herself among a young breed of designers who blend their experience of academia with the social media landscape. She is cognisant of the implications of formal education, and is not quick to discredit what obtaining a degree means, “these studies are so useful. I am proud to be able to be an architect, to be able to build something concretely.”