Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal first joined forces in 1987, founding the architectural agency Lacaton & Vassal. Over the decades, they have made their mark by using techniques taken from industry or agriculture, which add both minimalist and economical elements to their designs. Particularly sensitive to the life and feel of project locations, the two architects follow a design philosophy that aims to extract the most from the least possible.

They are notable for their role in improving social housing design with the Cité manifeste in Mulhouse, breaking free from standardized approaches to embrace large open spaces, winter gardens and customizable amenities. Among other things, they developed the brownfield site of the Palais de Tokyo (2012) and created the FRAC Nord-Pas-de-Calais in Dunkirk (2013).

Finally, they were winners of the prestigious Pritzker Prize in 2021.