Call for Applications 2026 – Post-Master’s Program in Architecture, Information, and Invention
ECOLAB Research Unit – ESAD Orléans
The Orléans School of Art and Design is recruiting 1 student researcher to join the Post-Master’s program in Architecture, Information, and Invention at the ECOLAB Research Unit, in partnership with the FRAC Centre-Val de Loire.
2026 Schedule:
Call for applications opens: Monday, June 15, 2026
Application deadline: July 13, 2026
Selection interview: July 16, 2026
Program start date: September 2026
The Architecture Information Invention Post-Master’s Program at ESAD Orléans
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) has quickly become the norm, even as the concepts needed to understand it are still lacking. What does it do to architecture? What can architecture do to AI?
AI has given rise to an artificial domain and latent spaces that encompass and transcend both the materiality of machines and the mathematical formalization of models. Geometry, trajectories, dimensions, forms, patterns, structuring… the very fabric of neural networks evokes concepts that architecture and design know intimately. Landscape, river, regions, pathways, interiority… the terms describing these digital spaces also evoke architecture, in its imaginaries, its knowledge, and its techniques for organizing and transforming the world.
What constitutes the access points, locations, and terrains of these informational spaces? What does it mean to move within them? The research program within which the post-master’s program is situated invites the development of an architectural and architectonic conception of information domains. Conversely, it examines how a conception of information (quantitative, qualitative, probabilistic) impacts the artifacts, concepts, and techniques of the fields of architecture, art, and design.
This interdisciplinary approach lies at the intersection of material and digital explorations (research and research-creation) and academic disciplines (science and technology, literature and philosophy, the social sciences, and digital humanities). Through a collaboration with the FRAC Centre-Val de Loire, the program draws on conceptual and historical precedents to highlight their influence in the field of architecture (projects, theories, teaching) from the mid-20th century to the present day.
This post-master’s program is intended for young professionals from France and abroad who hold a master’s degree or equivalent. It welcomes diverse backgrounds and experiences in the fields of architecture, engineering, urban planning, design, art, philosophy, and other disciplines. Candidates must submit a research-creation project that transcends the dual pitfalls of fascination with artificial intelligence and its reduction to a utilitarian logic. They will employ machine learning techniques and models from an experimental perspective—as conceptual, critical, or generative tools—to renew the conditions of invention, perception, and knowledge.
The student will be part of the Objects, Crafts and Computation (OCC) research program and will have access to a personal workspace as well as all of ESAD Orléans’ resources. He or she will contribute to ongoing research projects and will regularly present the progress of their work to the research team.
The Objects, Crafts and Computation Research Program
The Objects, Crafts and Computation Research Program is one of three research programs within the ECOLAB research unit at ESAD Orléans. The ECOLAB research unit consists of a team of about fifteen researchers who, through research in art and design, explore the challenges of the digital environment at the intersection of technological, ecological, and political dimensions.
Since 2020, the Objects, Crafts and Computation research program has been exploring the interactions between artistic gestures, algorithmic form generation, and the physicalization of data in the design of objects and artifacts.
In 2025, the program welcomed two architect-researchers to its team: Florian Cheraud and Emmanuelle Chiaponne-Piriou, to launch the new research track Architecture Information Invention, dedicated to new spatialities linked to the emergence of artificial intelligence.
Post-master’s students are supported by the research program team and, more specifically, supervised by Florian Cheraud and Emmanuelle Chiaponne-Piriou.
Qualifications
The program is designed for young professionals from France and abroad who hold a master’s degree (or equivalent) and have diverse backgrounds and experience in the fields of architecture, engineering, urban planning, design, art, philosophy, and other disciplines.
Candidates must submit a research-creation project that aligns with the post-master’s research program. Students will also be integrated into the research team of the Objects, Crafts and Computation (OCC) research program. They will contribute to ongoing projects within the Architecture Information Invention research track and will regularly present the progress of their work.
Admission Requirements
The Architecture Information Invention post-master’s program is open to individuals holding a five-year degree (RNCP Level 7) or its equivalent for foreign degrees.
Application Materials
A resume (detailing educational background, professional experience, exhibitions, publications, research projects, etc.)
A cover letter (maximum 2 pages) outlining the applicant’s interest in the Architecture Information Invention post-master’s program, their background, past experiences, and their creative and/or research approach
A portfolio (electronic format only) presenting a selection of completed works as well as, where applicable, texts, articles, publications, catalogs, and exhibition documentation
The application package, including the documents listed above, should be sent by email to: contact-recherche@esad-orleans.fr with the subject line: “First Name LAST NAME – A2I Post-Master’s Application”
Practical Information
Language of instruction: French
B2 level required for non-French-speaking students (TCF or DELF)
Annual tuition: €720