Dear reader,
Dear reader,
In our new magazine series, we would like to introduce you to some experts with whom we have already worked and whose know-how we would like to share with you. Our current first interview partner is Mr. Achim Schmitz from Hypothesis Architecture in Düsseldorf.
Mr. Schmitz, you are an architect from Düsseldorf. Why did you decide to study architecture?
I always enjoyed building as a child, and later developed an intensive interest in art. After school, I rented a studio together with a sculptor friend. I painted a lot there.
Back then, I was very fascinated by the art of the 1920s and the Bauhaus and the idea of thinking of architecture as art.
You have your own architecture office. How many years of professional experience do you have and how many of them have you gained in self-employment?
I graduated 19 years ago and have been self-employed for about 13 years.
Which areas of work do you specialize in?
The love for design has remained the same. With our Hypothesis office, we develop individual design concepts for buildings.
One focus is on renovation concepts for houses and apartments, which are individually tailored to the user in their design and function.
We also prefer to be involved in interior design.
How many employees or business partners do you bring in to plan a project like Villa La Haut in the Swiss Alps? What tasks do they have?
Many of our projects have been carried out in other European countries. That is why we usually work with local partner offices, which then also coordinate the appropriate craftsmen and specialist companies.
How much time and which work steps are usually required to implement a project of this scale?
As I said, the focus of our work is on developing the overall design concept.
Sometimes it takes several approaches to be convincing with your idea.
Our La Haut project actually required a lot of reanderings to ultimately convince the client of our concept.
For over two months, we tested a number of variants with different floor coverings and tile patterns.
In the end, we then implemented exactly the variant that we had proposed first.
Now everyone is very happy with the result.
I have already mentioned Villa La Haut, one of your projects, which we were able to support as Mosáico. In this, you have had cement tiles laid in many rooms. In which rooms and spaces have cement tiles found their place so far?
La Haut was our first project in which we used cement tiles.
We came up with the material because the house already had floors from the 1930s with cement tiles.
Interestingly enough, a very small format with strong colors.
However, the floors were not in good condition.
This is how we saw an opportunity to use new tiles with modern patterns and colors here.
What properties do you appreciate about cement tiles?
I really like the haptic qualities of the material. Depending on the pattern and color scheme used, the grout pattern fades very discreetly into the background.
This makes it possible to produce large carpets that can line the entire floor surface.
Have you already used cement tiles in unusual areas of application? (vertical walls, tables, window sills, fountains...)
We used it with an appropriate impregnation on bathroom and kitchen walls; and on tables, of course.
Was it easy to process and lay the tiles? What should be considered? Are you advising a specialist?
In principle, it is not difficult, but since the material is sensitive to the point of impregnation, work must be done very carefully, so I would always recommend a specialist here.
You will certainly receive feedback from your clients, possibly also from customers or guests of the completed project. What are the reactions to the finished tiles?
Strong colors and patterns are always polarizing in architecture.
But it was worth daring to do something with the design. Because the response was very positive.
The tiles from the La Haut project were so impressed that we were able to use them directly in two follow-up projects.
Are there any areas where you would move away from cement tiles and would rather use other materials? Why
I would rather not risk it outdoors due to the risk of frost. It would be nice sometimes though...
They have already designed several projects with us and are therefore in perfect shape. Do you have any suggestions for us to improve the selection, manufacturing and delivery process?
The service worked very well, the customer service was very personal and the transport from Morocco to Lake Geneva and Vienna also worked very well.
Dear Mr. Schmitz, thank you for answering our questions and for the trust you have placed in us. The entire Mosáico team wishes you all the best and we are delighted to be able to work with you again.
web page: Architekturbüro Hypothesis