Sergio Grazia
AZC Atelier Zündel Cristea
AZC Atelier Zündel Cristea
Who we are:
AZC is an architectural firm founded by Grégoire Zündel and Irina Cristea in January 2001, first located in Alsace, and since 2005 in Paris.
We became architects gradually during a process shifting us mentally and geographically.
During our “tour around the world” we were instilled with enough energy to trigger a series of happy accidents that allowed us to begin our professional activity in the way we had envisioned during years of school.
What we do:
We were fortunate from the start to work on a wide array of projects, within situations of urban complexity.
Our projects are principally public commissions within the fields of : sports, medicine, housing, education, the service sector.
Since 2008, we have begun to take on private commissions within the fields of health and housing.
How we do it:
Architecture is nothing without ambition. Wishing to construct both buildings and ideas well, in complete freedom, is the essence of the architect’s practice.
Knowing how to take on responsibilities, how to fight for, make convincing, and let develop ideas, we continually learn on the job.
We have the sensation of boundaries disappearing, of time and distances compressing, of everything proceeding with much speed. The keyword being speed. We must learn to be efficient, while simultaneously transgressing cultural, geographic, and mental boundaries.
Leading up to the completion of even the smallest project all the complexity of the architect’s profession is revealed.
The current environment constitutes for us an opportunity to explore new ways of producing architecture that lasts.
Our curiosity is directed toward addressing environmental problems, and toward experimentation. The keywords here being innovation, invention. To truly innovate, which requires application, determination, imagination, and work, requires as well the surroundings of a versatile team.
In addition to considering architectural and conceptual questions during our preparations and research, we give great importance to a reflection upon the energy, ecological, and economic concerns of our projects.