Behind the Scanner - The story of Antoine Estrugo
I was born in 1962 in the canton of Vaud, in a region where tractors outnumbered cars, and where being a 'foreigner' in a village was a bit like being a Martian. My father, a stubborn bricklayer, and my equally stubborn mother had bought a half-collapsed farm, and I grew up in a house that was constantly under construction. That's probably where my love of old stone comes from... and my ability to mentally project a wall where a partition is missing.
A childhood apart... and the desire to carve out my own path
Strangely enough, growing up on the fringes taught me to love... being on the fringe. Not to try to be like everyone else, to prefer the piano to football, the smell of fresh concrete to that of earth.
Carpentry, federal mastery and drawing revelation
When I was a teenager, in the absence of a major family debate about my artistic or academic future, I became a carpenter...
After an apprenticeship in the neighbouring village, I headed for the Valais, where I obtained my federal master's degree and discovered technical drawing - a revelation.
Learning on the job: worksite, crisis and management
The 80s and 90s were the years of building sites, hand drawings and a solid apprenticeship in the field: project management, technical offices, sales, lengthy estimates and economic crises (the one in 1993 taught me that a company's solidity is sometimes just a hair's breadth away... or a reasonable ambition).
Habitat Naturel: coatings, sheep's wool and convictions
In 2002, at the age of 40, freshly divorced and philosophically free, I set up my first company: Habitat Naturel.
More than just a project, it was a challenge: to create something beautiful, healthy and sensible using natural materials.
3D Scan Bat: conversion in high definition
But in 2018, after a serious wake-up call from my heart (the real one, the one that beats), I realised it was time to reinvent my trajectory once again.
And that's how 3D Scan Bat came into being: a human-scale, agile and passionate company specialising in 3D scanning, BIM modelling and rendering of plans.
A team, challenges and projects
Since 2019, it's been a whirlwind: over 100 projects a year, solid partnerships...
Old buildings, public buildings, hotels, forgotten basements... there's no stopping us. Especially not the stairs.
A passionate profession, a future in transmission
I'm not alone in this adventure. Without a motivated and complementary team, none of this would be possible.
So yes, I'm not "brand new" any more. But as long as there's a wall to scan, a plan to draw up, knowledge to pass on, energy and desire... I'll carry on.
