Siniat supports the next generations of architects

Training young people, giving them a clear vision of plaster and its implementation has become essential to meet the challenges of tomorrow's construction. Based on this observation, Siniat has decided to strengthen its support for future professionals. And is setting up new initiatives in line with their aspirations. Understanding the student, their needs and providing them with relevant answers is one of the missions of the brand's Technical Training Department.

A collaboration with the Paris-Belleville School of Architecture

The École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture de Paris-Belleville prepares students to design projects for buildings, public facilities, housing, urban and territorial projects, from the scale of the home to that of the city. As part of its teaching, the school offers students workshops. Among these workshops, a Catalan Vaults Workshop is under the direction of Nicolas André, a teacher at ENSAB and associate architect-manager at LANAA (Lafortune André Nésius Architectes Associés).

Training and testing

Nicolas Gagey, is a plasterer trained by the Compagnons du Devoir. He specializes in the construction of art staircases in plaster bricks using Catalan and Saracen techniques, and will train students throughout the week. Nicolas will teach them how to use plaster as a structural material thanks to its rapid setting and ability to expand when drying.

At the end of the week, a load test until breaking, carried out using an overhead crane, will show future architects the load-bearing capacity of a Catalan vault despite its thinness.

What is the Catalan vault?

The Catalan vault (in Catalan, volta catalana) is a traditional construction technique that dates back to the 17th century. It consists of masonry of small elements (plaster bricks or thin solid bricks) mounted without plaster arches.

Widely used in Spain and in the southwest of France, notably by the architects of the Catalan modernist movement, this technique can be applied to the construction of vertical, horizontal and sloping load-bearing surfaces.

Catalan vaults are light, strong and economical in terms of materials.