Philosophy - massaud

Philosophy

Philosophy

Since his first intuitions, Jean-Marie Massaud has run a quest for synthesis. His work, toward reduction and lightness, has always claimed a symbolic formalization as a way to universality and timelessness. Nowadays, he presents more global life projects through architecture, development strategies, goods and services. And, while well renowned for his furniture design, Jean-Marie Massaud is first of all a man with a vision ; a vision in philosophy and in economics. From industrial design to architecture, from technological innovation to prospective research, he is a man of change. His approach, both global and contextual, denies trend and fashion, which are too easy engines to creation. He prefers questioning the existing, working out on progress and eventually proposing answers to contemporary stakes. “to have” as a promise for happiness has lead to a crisis in our values, followed by an environmental crisis and economics crises. It is crucial now to come out of the consuming spell where individuals are manipulated by the control of his pulses and frustrations by the means of fashion and trends. This is the non-sense of the quantitative growth. In this context, innovation can only be human, i.e. cultural and behavioural, in order to change the market economy into a more qualitative and virtuous growth: from having to being. Jean-Marie Massaud is aware of his responsibilities as an active actor of the system and he is therefore continuously eager to be constructive and present- new perspectives and new choices. This approach belongs more than ever to the actual requirements and is to be found in the following projects: - " Manned Cloud " is an alternative study to the lethal economy in tourism. It is a different way to travel, far from the infrastructural proliferation that destroys natural sites, cultures and local ecosystems. Manned Cloud is a flying hotel, developed in partnership with the ONERA (the French aerospace office). By freeing from gravity and need for airports, roads and housing, the airship gives access to virgin lands without intrusion. Manned Cloud is a new way to discover the world without traces and to fulfil our desire and responsibilities. - The " Volcano Chivas Stadium ", which shall open in April 2009 in Guadalajara (Mexico), is not a piece of architecture but rather a new human and economic system. The stadium is a building with low environmental impact; its collective facilities are widened and profitable and materialized by a strong symbol: a crucible with fertile slopes. - The " life reef " towers use the superposition of private territories in order to propose a human and responsible vision of the collective housing. Here again, this project aims at matching responsibilities and desires: allowing the densification of the human housing while offering individual blooming. -The « Axor Massaud » collection is also a rupture: it is no stylism in faucets but a design of services bringing added value to the meaning and use of these « hygienic prostheses ». The symbolical formalisation, i.e. a timeless table from which a ribbon water flows out, shows a sensual, responsible (50% water consumption less) and new approach. For a couple of years, Jean Marie Massaud works and aims at developing alternative ways to consume, by creating ethic brands (in transport, equipment, housing…) where the notions of desires and responsibilities do meet and match. Above the ideas of status, outlooks or simply property, objects and services can lead to blooming life experience to any individual, collectively responsible and in harmony with our ecosystem. IT is this symbiosis between the Man, his creations and his natural environment, that Jean Marie Massaud strives to reach, as a catalyst to innovation, an economic model and a life project.