In the kingdom of beautiful gardens, his name is less publicized than that of Jean Mus. But the faragou agency in Nice, which is more discreet, is no less a sign of emblematic projects of the Coast such as the gardens of IKEA in Nice, Joia Méridia and the Grand Arénas in Nice Eco-Vallée. A family agency which changes direction, Alain Faragou the founder passing the baton to his son César, and which displays new ambitions.
If in the field of beautiful gardens and landscapes the name is less publicized than that of Jean Mus, the Faragou agency in Nice is nonetheless a regional reference. It is found in many of the emblematic projects of the Côte d’Azur such as the IKEA program and the Joia Méridia district in the lower Var Valley in Nice, in the Port Pierre Canto in Cannes, the Espace San Peïre in Roquebrune-sur-Argens, but also, beyond the Riviera borders of the landscape, founded in 1978 by Alain Faragou who today hands over the management to his son César.
We met him at the last MIPIM in Cannes. He explains to us how he intends to write the new page of the family saga.
Increase the number of cases by expanding the territorial scope
César Faragou trained as a naval architect before taking over the business alongside his father. A true enthusiast, he began his career as an architect at MVRDV, an internationally renowned architecture and town planning agency located in Holland, then returned to the South of France, working three years at Wilmotte & Associés.
« What am I looking to do when I take over the management of the agency? The business is family owned and wants to stay that way. My father continues to run the agency as a consultant, and more particularly deals with issues that fascinate him. All my efforts are focused on revitalizing the agency. She lived with four or five cases a year. By relying on the skills of former employees and the creativity of young people, I intend to increase their number by expanding the territorial scale. We are thus responding to projects in Lyon, Aubagne, Marseille, but also in Africa and even in Mauritius. »
Focus on public authority markets
« We will nonetheless continue to claim our Mediterranean roots by working especially in countries with hot climates. Mauritius, in particular, is part of this dynamic. Currently 45 cases are open including two with Jean Mus. The agency, which mainly operated in the development of gardens for luxury villas for very wealthy Qatari, Russian or Middle Eastern clients (some gardens go beyond 4 M€) is also seeking to register more and more. more in public authority markets such as the Marenda-Lacan market in Antibes with BNP. »
« We see ourselves above all as landscape architects. Because there is a real reflection to be carried out at the urban scale. The Joia Méridia garden project in Nice Eco-Vallée provides an example. It is not enough to stop at the essence of trees and plantations alone, but to answer the questions of how to experience the garden, how to magnify it, what scenography to adopt to enter and circulate in this open space. It is this reflection that is fascinating in our profession. »
The landscape architects
The Faragou agency in Nice, with around fifteen employees today, presents itself as a workshop for landscape architecture, town planning and the environment. It is formed around a multidisciplinary team made up of architects, landscapers, urban planners, engineers, technicians and has more than 300 projects to its credit. For more than 40 years, she has anticipated and designed landscapes and public and private environments. It addresses territorial issues in contexts of different scales, places and cultures. Its motto: Invenit et Fecit (invent and do). An entire program.
