Modulow: an Alsatian response to the new challenges of construction

An innovation that addresses the new challenges of housing, but also the needs of professionals and communities.

Modulow: an idea born from a dead end

For several years, Mickaël Coiffier, an architect and graduate of the École nationale supérieure d'architecture de Paris – La Villette, saw the same projects and the same disappointments. "Young couples would come to me with a budget of around 250,000 euros to build a 130 m² house. Each time, I found myself having to tell them that their project wasn't feasible," explains the architect, who is based on the outskirts of Mulhouse, in the Haut-Rhin region.

This frustration eventually sparked a reflection: how to restore access to homeownership without sacrificing architectural quality, energy efficiency, and comfort? The idea truly took shape in 2025, during the construction of a complex of eight garages for m2A Habitat, a social housing provider. It was there that the Modulow concept germinated: a building composed of a central core, to which standardized 24 m² modules could be added according to the family's needs. A bedroom, an office, an extension: the house would evolve at the same pace as its occupants.

When the architect meets the timber frame builder

To turn his idea into reality, Mickaël Coiffier naturally turned to Audrey Surgand, head of Établissements Lutz, a 30-employee company specializing in timber construction for nearly 70 years and located in the south of the Haut-Rhin region. She quickly grasped the concept's potential: "We immediately understood that Modulow could meet many other needs besides those of single-family homes. Its modularity, its small footprint, and its ability to integrate into all architectural styles open up numerous possibilities," explains Audrey Surgand.

She quickly envisioned applications for professionals and communities: lawyers, medical practices, health centers, micro-nurseries, offices, but also shared senior housing or projects led by private investors wishing to develop local facilities. "A pharmacist, for example, could create a medical center near their pharmacy to strengthen the attractiveness of their area and offer a genuine local healthcare service," she illustrates.

Another advantage: the buildings are manufactured in the workshops of Établissements Lutz before being transported to their construction site. This organization reduces construction time and provides greater cost transparency. “Between the initial sketches and delivery, it generally takes less than a year. Prefabrication also helps secure budgets and avoid the financial overruns that can occur on a traditional construction site,” emphasizes Mickaël Coiffier. Beyond controlling deadlines and costs, there is also a strong environmental commitment: thanks to its timber-frame design, Modulow is already anticipating the future RE2028 and RE2031 regulations.

A first project already in preparation

Designed exclusively on a single level, easily accessible, and fully customizable, Modulow aims to support the evolution of society. Founded just a month ago, Modulow is already seeing its first projects emerge. The most advanced project is a 135 m² micro-nursery near Colmar. For Mickaël Coiffier and Audrey Surgand, this first Modulow project marks the beginning of an adventure that could well reshape the way we design the buildings of tomorrow: more adaptable, more responsible, and above all, more in tune with today's economic realities.