Since the beginning of his career (a 1990 graduate of Paris’ ENSCI-Les Ateliers, Paris Design Institute), Jean-Marie Massaud has been working on an extensive range of works, stretching from architecture to objects, from one-off project to serial ones, from macro environment down to micro contexts. Major brands such as Axor, Cassina, Christofle, Poliform, Toyota have solicited his ability to mix comfort and elegance, zeitgeist and heritage, generosity and distinction.

Beyond these elegant designs, his quest for lightness – in matters of essence – synthesize three broader stakes: individual and collective fulfillment, economic and industrial efficiency, and environmental concerns. “I’m trying to find an honest, generous path with the idea that, somewhere between the hard economic data, there are users. People.”

His creations, whether speculative or pragmatic, explore this imperative paradigm: reconciling pleasure with responsibility, the individual with the collective.

When asked to imagine a new stadium for the city of Guadalajara, Mexico, he comes back with a never seen before cloud and volcano-shaped building, integrated in a vast urban-development program that re-unite leisure and culture, nature and urbanization, sport aficionados and local citizens. Instead of implanting a stadium, he proposed an environment. And the initial vision has proven a realistic approach: the project has come to life in July 2011.

More recently, his concept car developed in partnership with Toyota, has the same objective. MEWE is a synthesis of economical and ecological concepts, integrating issues specific to each stakeholder: the user, industry, and the environment. A pioneering multiple-use platform that is a car for the people, with a body in expanded polypropylene foam: a major innovation.

“When I’m working on a project, there’s always an attempt to renew the subject I’m involved in”. Another distinctive aspect of his approach.

Major dates
1966 Birth in Toulouse (France)

1990 Graduation from ENSCI-Les Ateliers

1990-91 Works in Hong Kong on mass-production design

1991 Submarine project with Yamaha Offshore

1992-96 Collaboration with Marc Berthier

1995 Carte blanche VIA

1996 Creation of his own design studio

1999 Monographic exhibition "Think Horizontal - Massaud » Musée des Arts Déco

2000 Némo (Cacharel), his first perfume bottle.
Founds the Studio Massaud with Daniel Pouzet for architecture and design project

2001 Starts collaborating with Cappellini

2003 Conceptual and architectural identity for Lancôme

2005 Monographic exhibition « Human Nature – Massaud », Time&Style in Tokyo.
Monographic book « Human Nature – Massaud ».

Begins the Manned Cloud project (flying hotel) with the ONERA

2006 Begins collaborating with B&B Italia

2007 Monographic exhibition at the VIA gallery in Paris

Monographic book "Jean-Marie Massaud" 
Daab

"Designer of the year 2007", Salon du Meuble

2009 « Designer of the year 2009 », Salon M&O Now ! Design à vivre

« Designer 2009 », Paris Capitale de la Création

Becomes the new art and creative direction of Environment

2010 Opening of the Volcano Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexique

Opening of the B&B Showroom in Paris, France

2011 Compasso d’Oro for the Yale sofa (MDF Italia)

2012 Wallpaper Design Award for the Seax folding chair edited by Dedon

2013 Presentation of the MeWe concept car at the Toyota showroom in Paris

2014 Wallpaper Design Awards – category “Best Room Mates” for GranTorino edited by PoltronaFrau

- Muuuz International Awards-MIAW2014 – Best Sofa for Airberg edited by Offecct

2015 Interior Innovation Award for Rock Table edited by MDF Italia

2016 Etoile de l'Observeur du Design - Service La Première Air France

2016 GREEN GOOD DESIGN™ Award - Green Islands Collection by Offecct