LB Architecte: from Word and a notepad to Archireport

The best case studies aren’t about software. They’re about a daily routine that changes. The case of the LB Architecte practice is one of them.

Its founder, Laurène Baratte, used to manage her site reports in Word. A seaside house project switched her habits to Archireport. Here is her account.

The LB Architecte practice

LB Architecte was founded with the aim of working on projects rooted in their surroundings, respectful of their history and suited to the needs of the people who live in them.

Laurène Baratte works mainly with private clients. Her work ranges from interior design to building detached houses. She also helps her clients upstream, with choosing materials and furniture and with purchasing.

In practice, it’s a small practice, close to its clients, where the architect monitors her sites herself. Monitoring isn’t delegated; it’s part of the service.

Before Archireport: Word and a notepad

Like many architects, Laurène managed her monitoring by hand, without a digital tool. Notes taken on site, photos on the phone, then a site report written in Word after the site meetings.

This method works, but it costs a lot of time. In practice, you have to go back over your notes, find the right photos, insert them one by one, then do the layout. A visit thus turns into a long session at the office.

The risk isn’t limited to lost time. A misfiled photo or a forgotten observation, and the report becomes less reliable.

The trigger project: a seaside house in Brittany

The turning point came with a demanding project: a house to be built by the sea, on a triangular plot, with an open view and light flowing through it.

The setting added a constraint. The area is dominated by traditional Breton seaside architecture. The house had to fit in harmoniously, while creating an open, warm living space.

In practice, this kind of project multiplies the points to watch: finishes, materials, technical details, constant dialogue with the tradespeople. Monitoring had to be flawless.

How Archireport was used on this project

On this site, Laurène switched her monitoring to Archireport. The logic changed from the very first visit.

With Notes & photos, each observation is created on site, with a photo and a position on the plan. No more sorting through the gallery in the evening. Thanks to the observations created on site, the app then generates a clean PDF, ready to send to the tradespeople and the client in one tap.

In practice, the architect leaves the site with her report finished. Observations are located, illustrated and assigned. The document is clear for everyone.

The concrete benefits

The first benefit is time. The site report is no longer written at the office; it’s finalised on site. The evening of admin disappears.

The second is the quality of the reports. Located photos, a consistent layout, a readable document: the client understands where their project stands. On site, tradespeople know exactly what to put right and the client is reassured by professional monitoring.

The third is peace of mind. Everything is recorded, dated and kept. If a question comes up several weeks later, the information is found in seconds. Even months or years after the end of the works, for a claim under the ten-year liability guarantee in France for example, everything is methodically filed.

What has changed in the practice’s daily routine

Since adopting Archireport, monitoring is no longer a chore put off until later. It is built smoothly during the visit.

The practice saves time on every site, whether it’s an interior architecture project or a new build. In practice, the time recovered goes back where it counts: design, client relationships or simply time for yourself.

Laurène’s advice to architects who are hesitating

Many architects still hesitate, out of habit or for fear of changing their methods. LB Architecte’s experience comes down to one simple idea: start with a single site.

One visit is often enough to measure the difference. The time saved on the first site report speaks for itself.

“There’s one tool in Archireport that’s really good: the schedule. It lets me know where I’m up to every week. It lets the contractor know where they’re up to and plan their work, and it reassures my client that the site is running smoothly. With Archireport, clients receive a site report as soon as the meeting is over, which tends to reassure them. Another very handy tool is Archireport Live. Every week I upload photos, so the client can follow the progress of the works, and the architect and contractors can see what has happened and have a history of the site. That can be very useful if a question comes up about something seen earlier.”

Try Archireport on your own sites

Do the same test as LB Architecte. Archireport is free to try for 30 days, with no commitment. Take one site, one visit, and see the time saved from the very first report.

Find out more about the practice on the LB Architecte website (lb-architecte.fr, in French).