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Born in Lebanon in 1975, Maxim Julian graduated from the University of Fine Arts Lebanon and the National School of Architecture of Toulouse, France in 1990. Between 1990 and 1995 his professional experiences and exposure developed through the rehabilitation and construction of various public and private projects: the official stadium in Beirut, Phoenicia Hotel, the official hospital R. Hariri… In 2007 he created his first agency in France involving architects and engineers carrying out major industrial projects. In 2011, he created the agency SYNOPSYS, which opens to other domains: public and commercial, collective and individual housing, landscape and design. In less than 10 years M. Julian realize over than 40 projects/ 20 competition, covering several domain and various scales; industrial buildings, schools , university, offices, collective housing, crematorium, penitentiary building, medical facilities, restaurants, villas, etc.. He has been the President of Southern center of architecture and city Toulouse, the Director of the CCHA, research center on new forms of housing and is currently a member of the editorial committee of the architectural magazine ' Plan Libre.'
M. Julian base project success on a technical know-how and an ability to understand the economic, urban and social issues that shape the upstream of architectural thinking. He aims towards a responsible and intelligent architecture; an architecture that has to combine functionality with aesthetics and technology with emotions.
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Designing the Essential: towards a responsible architecture
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Abstract:
It is evident, as per Kondriatev famous waves, that the world undertakes paradigmatic technological changes that drastically affect the fabric of our lives. Despite that these waves or cycles are getting increasingly shorter; the architecture production of today seems to be lagging. If architecture is about an expression and reflection of any culture, then it becomes urgent for us to change and adapt our practice to the changing conditions of our time.
By re-questioning architecture production of today and challenging established ideas, we can create a better environment that befits our own social needs and answer to our environmental challenges- otherwise why else do we need architects and architecture? Architecture can't be anymore about building beautiful and functional volumes: it has to be responsible and intelligent based on the needs and cultural particularities of a certain society. Form is ephemeral; ideas remain: they are eternal.
This presentation illustrates the quest towards these ideals.
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