Cedric Carle
In Dubai for ADPI
" Architects are characters. If their personalities captivate us, so will their architectural designs."
Cédric Carle is an architect who has worked for ADPI,
Paris International Airport Authority
since 2007. He coordinates the work of a team of ten individuals including primarily industrial draftsmen, engineers and architects in connection with a private airport project for a sheikh in Abu Dhabi. The Presidential Flight is currently in its construction phase. “At this point, we have a lot of meetings because we have to find structural solutions that are acceptable to both the architects and the engineers” he explained simply. However, versatility is a term that more appropriately defines his work. “As a matter of fact, no two days are ever the same: there are meetings, onsite work, studies on materials, etc.” he explained eagerly. Cédric lives in Dubai, a city that is variously described as excessive, wealthy, rampant with speculation and cosmopolitan. What is it really like? What does Cédric think about this? “If you want to live in Dubai, you have to love your work and like practicing sports. Since this is my case, I really enjoy my current lifestyle. The weather’s always nice here and they have world-class sports facilities. It’s really great. ” he concludes with a smile. But Cédric, who is not a believer in political correctness, adds “I’ve become friends with some local kids, but the expats live separately. That said, my wife who is also an architect and works for ADPI as well, prefers our life here much more than when we lived in Vietnam. When you live in a foreign country, you have to identify a few rules and customs quickly and abide by them. But it’s not nearly as confining as you might think,” he explains. Cécric comes across as an open-minded, active and inquisitive person, which led him to broaden his horizons when the opportunity came about. How did he get to the unique position he is in today?
Cédric studied architecture at the National Advanced Architecture School (ENSAN) in the city of Nancy, in France, where he grew up. He loved math, drawing and art history, so architecture seemed the best choice of a field of study that would let him combine these different interests. In 2000, he was looking for a 6-months internship in the United States in order to improve his English in a work setting. He received several offers. He accepted the one from Schulman Zimmerman & Associates in Miami. “It was perfect because, at the time, they only had two people in Miami. I had to answer the phone and talk with clients. In a big agency, by contrast, I would have just done technical drawing and spoken French with other French expats ". When he returned to France, he and two friends got involved with a school project to set up an aboriginal cultural center. Together, they travelled across Australia, providing weekly reports to the French companies and local newspapers that funded the initiative. After that trip, Cédric focused all his efforts on his graduation thesis, which involved redesigning the Thiers square. “I chose the subject because the square is situated right next to a train station. It’s a busy place–the first place that people see when they arrive by train in Nancy. What is more, over the years many architects and urban planners had worked on the square. So it was an exciting challenge to take on”. He defended his thesis and graduated in 2002. He moved to Paris just afterwards.
There, he met Robert Bellon, an architect who was impressed with his ability to adapt and the superior quality of his 3D images. Mr. Bellon hired him to work on the Kiptcjal mosque project in Turkmenistan. Originally hired for 6 months, Cédric ended up working there for 2 years. In 2004, he took on another challenge. He founded with two of his former classmates a company called France Vietnam Architecture in Hanoi. “It was exciting because we set up the business from A to Z. I learned about the business and legal aspects of setting up an international company in a different culture and another way of conceiving of architecture” declares the architect, with enthusiasm. In 2006, once the company had become viable, Cédric decided to move back to Paris. “Actually, the company was doing really well, which is still the case in fact. But by law, a westerner cannot be a majority shareholder in a company in Vietnam. So, you end up in a somewhat awkward position. I thought it was better to leave than to get bogged down in something my heart was no long in,” he explains.
But there was a big surprise in store for him. A friend who lived in Dubai and invited him for holidays. Cédric was fascinated by this sprawling city. All the expats knew one another and it was easy to meet people. ADPI’s management in Dubai scheduled an interview with him 3 hours before his flight back to Paris. They offered to hire him rapidly. A week later, Cédric moved to Dubai to begin his new life.
Who inspires him? "In terms of architecture, Santiago Calatrava does without a doubt. He is at once an architect, an engineer and a sculptor: his architectural designs are works of art."