Archinect - News

Remembering Francois Perrin, beloved architect, father, and friend

2019-04-05T17:36:00-04:00

On April 1st, the architecture community lost the acclaimed architect, curator, and friend Francois Perrin. Having been diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer in January, 2019, the beloved designer, surfer, and father passed peacefully in his sleep, surrounded by friends and loved ones in his private home in Los Angeles.

Francois Perrin. Image courtesy of Perrin's GoFundMe page

Perrin's long list of accolades pair with his passion for inventive design approaches, love of surfing, and his kind-hearted nature. A dear friend to many, the Paris-born architect spent his time working in Southern California and France. The founder of Air Architecture, Perrin studied architecture at the École des Beaux-Arts. With his father being a professor of sculpture, Perrin's interests in art and curation only added to the depth and vision of his multidisciplinary approach to architecture.

PAS House / Skateboard House by Francois Perrin and Gil Le Bon Delapointe

Hollywood Hills House by Francois Pe...

LA/Parisian architect, Francois Perrin, needs your support

2019-03-28T15:13:00-04:00

We have been devastated by the news that our friend Francois Perrin, an LA-based architect, artist, surfer, new father and lover of all that is creative, was recently diagnosed with a very aggressive form of brain cancer. His condition has deteriorated and now considered terminal. As he transitions to hospice care, a GoFundMe campaign has been established to assist with costs for his family.

Hollywood Hills House by Francois Perrin

PAS House / Skateboard House by Francois Perrin and Gil Le Bon Delapointe

The lightness and honesty of Francois' architecture work has always impressed me. The design of Archinect Outpost, which I worked on closely with my good friend and architect Evan Geisler, was an obvious homage to Perrin's work, with the exposed ply, posts and polygal. Francois provided us with invaluable advice during the process of building our space.

Francois Perrin, Airhouse, 2007. Photograph by Nills Timm

Francois Perrin and Xavier Veilhan

Francois is also a big supporter of the ...

Parisian Exports and Silicon Valley Imports on Episode #37 of Archinect Sessions

2015-07-09T19:17:00-04:00

Our episode this week revolves around Paris – city of lights, riots, artists and cheese-shaped skyscrapers (or at least, those are the bits were talking about). As part of a nationwide strike against UberPop, the cheapest Uber-affiliate in France, taxi drivers in Paris launched a riotous protest on June 25, terrorizing Uber drivers and generally disrupting Parisians in transit (and Courtney Love).

Contention (albeit the nonviolent kind) also arose in response to Herzog & de Meuron's new Tour Triangle skyscraper, which Paris officials approved on June 30. It will be the city's first skyscraper since the much-maligned Tour Montparnasse was built in 1973, precipitating a height limit on new buildings (that has since been relaxed). Critics are unhappy about the Triangle's intrusion onto the Parisian skyline, and its inhospitable-looking atmosphere on the street level.

Paul also shares his conversation with Guggenheim Helsinki winners Nicolas Moreau and Hiroko Kusunoki, following up on ...

Hollywood Hills House by Francois Perrin

2012-02-28T12:52:00-05:00

Los Angeles architect Francois Perrin (anyone remember the face-melting Skateboard House?) has shared with us his recently completed project, a private residence in the Hollywood Hills here in sunny Southern California.

Project Description from the Architect:

This private residence is located in the Hollywood Hills, overlooking the City of Los Angeles. It is one of the rare remaining building lots of this neighborhood, also one of the few protected areas in the City.

The building engages with the surrounding environment in order to produce an Architecture that merges with the Landscape. The contemporary design of the house interacts as well with the natural elements (air, sun and vegetation) but has only a little visual impact in the Hills.

The site has a very steep topography but mostly constituted of Bedrock. The North-South orientation offers a panoramic view of the LA basin while being naturally protected from the sun in the warm afternoons. The building casts itself into th...

Not Your Mama's (Skateboard) House

2011-07-12T18:03:00-04:00

Remember your mama always telling you not to skateboard inside the house? Well, think again, mom: Francois Perrin of LA-based Air Architecture has shared with us some pretty impressive photos of his latest production, PAS House, a full-scale, 753.5-square foot prototype for a house he is currently designing in Malibu, CA for former pro skateboarder and founder of Etnies footwear, Pierre-André Senizergues (PAS).

The prototype, fully equipped with sofa, bed, furniture from the Skate Study House collection and even kitchen appliances, was just recently part of the exhibition Public Domaine/Skateboard Culture at la Gaite Lyrique, a new museum in Paris. For the 25th birthday celebration of Etnies, their team of pro skaters did a demo session in the prototype.

The complete residence, where everything in the house is skateable, will measure 2,200-square feet and will to be located in a site overlooking the Pacific at the top of Malibu.

The concept was envisioned by Senizerguesa...