Dr. Ir. Philippe SAMYN

“AGC Glass Building”

2015: FOREIGN BUILDING OF THE YEAR. Czech Architecture and Building Fondation, Prague. Bethlehem Chapel, le 13 octobre 2015. Pour AGC GLASS Building
2014: European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – MIES VAN DER ROHE Award 2015. Nomination 2014-11-07 pour AGC GLASS Building
Commander in the Order of Leopold, November 2007.
Ennobled, with the grant of hereditary nobility, to Knighthood by HRH King ALBERT II on 13th of July 2012.

Dr Ir Philippe Samyn is in charge of the global architectural, structural and MEP designs of SAMYN and PARTNERS.

Philippe SAMYN and PARTNERS sprl-bvba, founded in 1980, is a private company owned by its partners and led by its design Partner Dr Ir Philippe SAMYN. With its affiliated companies Ingenieursbureau Jan MEIJER (founded in 1976), FTI (founded in 1985), DAE (founded in 1994) and AirSR (founded in 2003), it is active in all fields of architecture and building engineering. Philippe Samyn’s architectural and engineering design approach is based on questioning, which can be summarised as a “why” methodology. The firm approaches projects openly to all sorts of possibilities whilst listening closely to its clients demands. Its projects are often published in the international specialised press. The firm’s client services include Planning and Programming, Urban Planning, Landscaping and Architectural Design, Interior Design, Building Physics, MEP and Structural Engineering, Project and Construction Management, Cost and Planning Control, Quantity Surveying, Safety and Health Coordination.

“The Architectural approach of SAMYN and PARTNERS is a questioning one which can be summarised in one word : “WHY”.

It is the unending search for understanding basics, because nothing is more dangerous than to work with pre-conceived ideas or with superficial percieved wisdom. Too much architecture is based on uncertain assurances which in turn is based on “it is believed” or “it has always been done this way” and which have never been questioned. It is for the architect to discover, to invent, to create or at least to ‘re-write’ in order to take account of an evolving context. The structures based on harmonic progressions developed by Philippe SAMYN are examples of such an approach. The traditional trellis beams respond to the bridging of large spans by the juxtaposition of regular meshes made up of pieces of identical length. Today, the use of robots permits the production of trusses with bars of variable length of which the mesh develops according to harmonic progression and which responds better to the constraints. There are therefore no fixed dogmas, but a constant evolution which is based on a continuous putting into question done with precision.”