Loci Anima

Loci Anima – The Soul of Place in Architecture

Loci Anima is an architecture, design, and urban planning studio founded in 2005 by Françoise Raynaud. Based in Montmartre, Paris, near the iconic Sacré-Cœur, the studio brings together a team of 25 architects and operates an international office in New York led by Jonathan Thornhill.

The studio’s name, Loci Anima—Latin for “soul of place”—embodies its guiding philosophy: that every being, object, and natural element carries a spirit, an intrinsic energy. This idea is central to what founder Françoise Raynaud calls post-industrial animism—an architectural vision rooted in a deep respect for the living world.

Loci Anima designs buildings and urban environments that are in constant dialogue with nature. The studio champions architecture that welcomes vegetation, supports biodiversity, and integrates plant and animal life into the urban fabric. Inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s maxim, “Look at nature, that’s where your future is,” the studio embraces nature’s intelligence—its efficiency, sustainability, and ability to regenerate.

Each project by Loci Anima reflects this ethos: smart, economical, and sustainable spaces conceived as living entities. Architecture becomes not just a built form but a vital part of the human ecosystem. The studio’s commitment to this approach is evident in numerous internationally recognized projects, including:

Pont d’Issy Urban Quarter, Issy-les-Moulineaux

Greenwich West Apartment Tower, Manhattan

Les Fauvettes Cinema, Paris

Alpha Media Library, Angoulême

A4-Est Urban Quarter, Boulogne-Billancourt

These and many other projects underscore Loci Anima’s ambition: to create thoughtful, nature-integrated architecture for the future.