February 2017

, The Personal Touch Klaus Bürger, owner of Klaus Bürger architecture, based in Germany, tells us more about his unique approach to design. Klaus Bürger architecture may be a small firm but it offers unlimited options. Owner, Klaus Bürger, tells us more about the company and gives an overview of the services it provides. “Working to high standards, and with a great love of detail, we create rooms and spaces whose timeless design and choice of enduring materials make them useable and up-to- date for decades,” he begins. “For more than 30 years our work has been characterised primarily by a high-level of continuity in architectural language, quality and liveliness, as our numerous projects prove. “We do not follow short-lived trends. Our handwriting is a clear, reduced architectural language, which lends all our projects their special quality. Using light, colour, texture and acoustics we create an environment which, in overall composition, is clear and streamlined, yet also rich in detail and painterly-sensual. People feel upbeat in our rooms and more sensually aware of their surroundings.” Klaus Bürger Architektur was established in 1981. “In these times there weren’t any possibilities in creating these high-glossy photorealistic 3D-Visualisations, which was an advantage,” states Klaus. “My customers had to trust in me, that I was able to create their dreams and better. Then I had my first experiences sitting over a realistic 3D rendering and suffering in stupid discussions about the brown-tone of the wooden floor. That was the moment to take a step back from this faked security to more rudimentary 3D models and physical material samples to give my customers a feel into what their rooms will actually be like in the future and to also claim more trust into my work and vision.” What sets Klaus and his team apart from the rest in the industry is the clear strategy of providing what the customer really and truly desires. “The best strategy is to be flexible, not to fear new challenges and to have an open heart. “Lots of craftsmen and architects are not able to think apart from common standard- solutions, or they fear expensive consequences when it comes to the question of warranty or safety. We don’t fear to go down an unusual path, but not necessarily for the customer’s own sake. We don’t want to create unusual designs that look different but have no sense, no quality and no integrity. We want to put a design into place that has a figure, a visual and material quality, and which fits completely self-evidently, and harmonically into an overall architectural impression. “You don’t need to invent the wheel twice. Invention for invention’s sake is the wrong way to go about it. All you need is to watch carefully, to discuss thoroughly, and to decide what’s really necessary.” Klaus shares his industry experiences in magazines and publications, as well as at conferences, where he provides expert advice. His determination to ensure his continued success as a master craftsman is clear. “The best project is my next project,” he laughs. “I cannot share with you any new business ventures before they are finished and I cannot provide insight into future projects as I do not have a crystal ball! However I strongly believe that the secret to success in this industry is ‘context’. I do not agree in building solitary structures that can be placed in Norway as well as in China. For me, there is always a personal interaction in my work with the city, the region, the culture and the human beings, that create a certain environment to their special place, where they can feel delighted, relaxed, inspired and, ultimately, at home.” “You don’t need to invent the wheel twice. Invention for invention’s sake is the wrong way to go about it. All you need is to watch carefully, to discuss thoroughly, and to decide what’s really necessary.”