Meeting Baptiste Manet: an architect with strong ties to Périgord and co-founder of Sapiens Architectes

Baptiste, can you tell us about your background and what led you to architecture?

Baptiste: I don’t come from a family of architects—my maternal grandparents were farmers, and my paternal side had butchers, all from Dordogne. So, I didn’t have a background specifically geared toward architecture, but I think the environment I grew up in made me aware of it. I remember the agricultural buildings on my grandparents’ land, the tobacco barns, and the beautiful stone houses scattered across the region. And of course, the rich heritage—the stunning castles of the Vézère Valley. You only start to realize these influences later on, when you begin searching for meaning in your own journey.

How did Sapiens Architectes come about, and what vision guides your agency?

Baptiste: We’re two partners, soon to be three. I founded the agency with my friend Yann Legouis, who runs the Montpellier office. We studied together in Toulouse and later worked at architecture firms with similar approaches and sensibilities. I was at Pierre-Louis Faloci’s office, while Yann worked with Philippe Prost—both recipients of the Grand Prix National d’Architecture.

Over time, I started developing projects in Dordogne. Since Yann and I are, above all, close friends, we decided to start our own agency in 2018.

You designed two vacation homes in Périgord, Les Grands Chênes and La Petite Maison Noire. What was your approach in developing these projects?

Baptiste: It’s actually a funny story—I designed Les Grands Chênes for my mother as a family project. A new building was added to a cluster of structures where I grew up. I’ve known this forest of tall oaks, where both projects are nestled, since childhood. So, Les Grands Chênes came first.

One day, François and Céline, the owners of La Petite Maison Noire, were vacationing in Dordogne and spotted Les Grands Chênes from the village—it’s visible in winter when the trees lose their leaves. They knocked on the door and happened to meet my grandmother, who immediately told them that her daughter and grandson were behind the project. It was one of those “alignment of the planets” moments, as François likes to say.

There are clear similarities between the two projects—the same wood, the same structural grid—but their typologies are different. Les Grands Chênes draws inspiration from traditional longhouses, while La Petite Maison Noire is reminiscent of tobacco-drying barns.

How did you incorporate the fact that these homes would be used as vacation rentals into your design?

Baptiste: We designed Les Grands Chênes as a true family home, while La Petite Maison Noire was created specifically for its owners—they love it just as much as the guests who stay there. What both houses share is a deep connection with nature. They weren’t conceived as purely economic ventures but as real homes, designed to be lived in and enjoyed.

What are Sapiens Architectes’ projects and ambitions for the coming years?

We’re working on a book that explores the architect’s in-between role—bridging different social strata, concepts, and percepts. To illustrate this, we’ve collaborated with photographers who have been documenting our work since day one. Their project focuses on cataloging everyday heritage buildings, particularly agricultural ones.

Beyond that, we’re designing private homes and renovating a childcare center, both in Dordogne. We’re also involved in a heritage project—an interpretation center next to a Cistercian abbey in Corrèze—as well as an art foundation in a historic fortified house in Loiret. A diverse range of projects!