During this time, in 1970, he also obtained a certificate in computer programming which shows his early interest for data computerisation and his awareness of the importance of this tool in his career.
Along with his builder activity, Philippe Samyn taught at the Superior National School of Visual Arts at La Cambre where he carried out construction classes.
The 30th of June 2020, Philippe Samyn stepped down as the administrator of his agency and transferred his responsibilities to two of his associates: Åsa Decorte and Ghislain André.
During the early years, his engineering expertise honed his knowledge while establishing a reputation for seriousness and reliability in the industrial world.
Shell was indeed an essential step for Philippe Samyn, demonstrating his agency's capabilities to successfully manage large-scale and highly technical projects.
However, after Shell, Philippe Samyn abandoned the use of brick as a primary material due to its declining quality, caused by reduced firing temperatures and cooking times following the first oil crisis.
In the Brussimmo office building (1989-1993) constructed for the Sidmar-Arbed Group in Brussels, after having built the OCAS research centre in Zelzate for them, he implemented the double-skin principle for the first time in one of his projects.
Here, he employed the pre-stressed fabric technique developed by Ferrari in Lyon, adding architectural dimension to spaces typically lacking in it.
In 1999, at the Houten service station in the Netherlands (1998-1999), Philippe Samyn experimented for the first time with expanded metal, using it in a structure with a series of curved screens.
Several recurring elements from the architect's work were present: the use of recycled materials (all wooden frames), photovoltaic panels, double skin, geometric exploration, collaboration with an artist (Georges Meurant, colourist painter), play with opacity and transparency, porous architecture allowing visual appropriation by all.
His dual roles as architect and engineer, along with a proven practice of efficiency, led to his appointment for the structure and envelope of the Belgian station Princess Elizabeth in Antarctica (2007-2008), where errors were unthinkable.
Also in 2010, following his meeting with Chinese architect Wang Shu during the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture ceremony where Philippe Samyn was honoured, he received several commissions in China.
Philippe Samyn developed a calculation method to address the absence of tools to shape a structure and the need to minimize the amount of material used in construction.
Philippe Samyn studies, on behalf of Fabricom, a subsidiary of the Suez Group, a new concept of a lightweight and aesthetically pleasing wind turbine.
The method of volume indicators allows him to develop a very lightweight configuration of a wind turbine mast equipped with folded stay cables.
This clever approach not only eliminates the need for heavy lifting equipment but also allows wind turbines to be installed in hard-to-reach locations.
His approach to tower buildings develops an original concept where architecture no longer serves as a clear boundary between the interior and exterior but becomes a porous space.
It can accommodate natural elements, streets, squares, while also hosting spaces dedicated to specific functions such as housing, commerce, hospitality, etc.
The motivations behind this research include population explosion, rural exodus to coastal cities in emerging countries, energy scarcity, soil pollution, and long-term biodiversity preservation.
The headquarters is a "vertical village" formed by a hollow annular tower spanning 20 levels of 4.5 meters in height, primarily composed of voids.