French architect, inventor and designer Jean-Marie Massaud doesn’t care much for fame or any of the trappings that come with being recognised by the masses. Instead, the 51-year-old designer is driven by a desire to create objects that improve life experience. Watch our interview with him here.
The well-known designer has worked with several brands – Poliform, Cassina and B&B Italia, amongst many others – to create pieces that provide both comfort and functionality.
Photo credit: www.massaud.com
Raised in Toulouse, France, Mr Massaud has always been a gadget-loving kid fascinated with nature and technology. With a background in aerospace engineering and industrial design, Mr Massaud dreamed of designing a state-of-the-art aircraft.
Photo credit: www.massaud.com
Mr Massaud expressed that he understood very quickly that he wanted to learn architecture, and that his dream is to work around lightness and aerodynamics. “It’s not about fame,” he said, “it’s about innovation.”
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Given a chance, he would opt for a futuristic, out-of-the-box approach – this might range from an all-electric, multi-purpose sub-compact concept car for Toyota with bamboo parts, to a proposal for a whale-shaped flying boutique hotel.
Photo credit: www.massaud.com
More often than not, it takes only a few minutes for Mr Massaud to conceptualise an initial design. For instance, he drew the outline of a football stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico on the back of a folder. And in seven years’ time, the high-tech, energy-efficient stadium was completed.
Photo credit: www.massaud.com
“I look at the context and I also look at the relevant issues, absorb the surroundings – design is the creative synthesis where you take all the above and make it happen,” Mr Massaud says.
He adds: “I want to create the new paradigm of tomorrow, based on keywords like ‘better’, ‘emotion’, ‘value’ and ‘meaning’.”
Indeed, he’s not just a designer – he’s a creator and innovator as well.
Written by Geoffrey Eu for Business Times
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