Homes & Estates Florida Collection May 2016 | Page 11
Had you designed other types of interior spaces
before moving your designs to the sky?
I came into aviation interior design after years of experience
as a aircraft interior certification expert. I studied product
design and engineering, and after having been involved on
the certification side of VIP aircraft interiors, I decided to
create my own design studio and design my own interiors.
I felt there was a need to bring a more creative offer to
aircraft owners.
What is the most significant difference between
designing for, say, a home versus a private jet?
The environment of an aircraft is very unique and very
different from any other kind of space interiors designers
typically work on. The living space inside most aircraft is
usually rather small with a fixed cylinder shape and limited
natural light sources. As a consequence, the initial design
requirements for an aircraft are very demanding, because
at the end of the design process, the passenger has to feel
good within the cabin environment and forget about the very
nature of its limitations (for example, we can’t open windows
on an airplane to get fresh air, so we have to design in such
a way as to get past this limitation). Also, weight limitations,
possible flight turbulence and airworthiness regulations have
to be taken into consideration during the design process.
This leads to technical solutions and material choices that
are very demanding and only seen in aviation.
What is your personal philosophy when it comes to
private jet design?
I approach every project from a clean slate in order to create
unique, personalized spaces that combine innovation,
creativity, airworthiness and safety.
and what kind of amenities the client wishes to have. During
this interview, I also usually explain the technical limitations of
what we can currently do within an aircraft cabin (no bathtub
at this time, for example), and the rest of the design process,
which includes preliminary design, preliminary design review,
final design and technical follow-up.
How closely do you work with a client, typically?
We meet in person and try to connect in a way that will allow
me to truly understand the personality and expectations of
the client. The objective is to create a design that will appeal
to the client right away without the need for major changes.
What are some of the biggest challenges you must
solve in your designs?
The biggest challenge is usually to ensure that the actual
aircraft interior will reflect my drawings and renderings, in
terms of craftsmanship quality, finishing details, lighting effects
and so on. That is why I place a great deal of importance
on communicating effectively with the artisans and suppliers
that will create all the bespoke elements that will go into the
aircraft interior.
How long does it take from start to finish?
It all depends on the size of the aircraft and the nature of
the interior project (complete or partial refurbishment), but the
design phase duration typically varies from two months to up
to one year for VIP airliners.
In terms of what you do, how do you define luxury?
I define luxury in private aviation as a balanced combination
of space, comfort, personalization and service on-board.
Can you describe your typical design process? Do you
come up with a design first, or does a client come to
you with a specific vision?
Where does the gift of silence — i.e., noise reduction
— fit into the design?
The typical design process starts with an interview in which
the client will explain his or her expectations and desires with
regard to the project; what kind of design styles the client likes;
Most clients understand the limitations of the current stateof-the-art technology concerning noise reduction. Like
everything in this business, we can either go with standard
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