Profile – Part 2

So, in 2002, you were fast-tracked into the fifth year of the Paris-La Villette school of architecture?

Yes, I stayed there for two years. During the first year, I did a lot of work on urban analysis and assessment. In France, I learned that you need to conduct a thorough review of the project issues before commencing the design. It was quite hard as I still hadn’t mastered the language very well. I was working at the same time as my studies at Hippopotamus, a speciality restaurant chain, and there were always students there who were prepared to help me with the explanation of words. Sometimes, they wanted to tear their hair out! For example, I would say to them: “sympathique” [nice] doesn’t mean the same thing as “gentil” [kind] , right? Because someone can be both nice and nasty, but someone described as being ‘kind’, stays ‘kind’, because that is a constitutive feature of their personality. It actually became a game and my colleagues were also surprised to discover many things about their own language. I owe them a lot, because it is those moments spent together that allowed me to progress so quickly and to pass my DPLG degree in architecture with full honours in 2004.

Did you immediately begin working in an architecture firm?

I went straight into a several month-long internship at Nicolas Michelin, but in the autumn I decided to pick up my studies again. I did a Specialised Masters at ESTP on construction company management.

What was your goal at the time?

France and China differ considerably in one area of project management – the question of price. In China, the project organisation is governed by the notion of delivering on time, whereas in France it is governed by the budget. That is why I felt that it was important to have appropriate training in this area.

So, following your Masters in 2005, you were then hired by the Vinci Group?

I was hired as Cost Estimation Engineer by GTM (Grands Travaux de Marseille), a subsidiary of Vinci. I worked there for two years. Then, I became Works Engineer. I worked on the building of the Tour Granite, Société Générale’s headquarters, in La Défense. It was a very large project of 69,000 m. I am currently in charge of the shell and core of a university building as part of the renovation and development of Tolbiac University. It is proving to be a very complex building due to the context. Its structure rests on spring boxes designed to absorb the vibrations of TGV trains. It is a very complicated project to implement, especially in terms of water tightness.

Why do you think you were hired for this project?

My employers presumably considered that I would be the right person to deal with all of the various parties involved. My professional experience has taught me how to interact with architects, engineers, contractors and even private individuals, because alongside my work at Vinci, I have developed my own activity as a freelance architect.

Would you ultimately like to set up your own architecture firm?

I do plan to set up my own business, yes, for sure, but I don’t know whether it will take the shape of a traditional architecture firm. Personally, I don’t see myself as a design architect, but rather as a project architect. And I have realised that in this field, there is a real need, even from architects. Some of them still struggle to understand why the shape of their project will evolve during the project construction stages. I have a real know-how in this area, which I could bring to architects, design consultancies, contractors and private individuals. I still need to define exactly what type of services I could offer.

Are you currently involved in any projects on a freelance basis?

In Paris, I have a private Chinese client base. I redesign apartments and restaurants for them. I also assist them in purchasing property to allow them to accurately assess the cost and duration of the works required, or ensure that there are no hidden flaws. In China, I designed a 1,350-square-metre building, which is currently being built. My brother is in charge of the daily site supervision which I oversee via the photos he sends me. My building is nothing fancy. It is functional and well-designed down to the smallest detail. The apartments have front and back views; I increased the number of windows, but reduced their dimensions for better ventilation. In my region in China, there is often only one large window per apartment, which creates problems in terms of safety and thermal insulation. In fact, what is important for me, is not producing grand architecture, but producing good architecture, be it in France or China.

Do you have a passion?

The building trade in all its forms.

What are your sources of inspiration?

The architectural designs of Jean Nouvel and Nicolas Michelin.

What is France for you?

A country in which I feel good.

What is the next step for you?

For the time being, I plan to stay in France, but eventually I would like to return to China.