June 2017

24 BUILD / June 2017 , Understanding Architecture jürgensarchitekten is an architecture and design studio based inMunich, Germany. Founded by Natalie Jürgens in 2007, the studio works on small scale, but high-quality, projects in various fields. We spoke to Natalie about her work, her passion and her approach to new clients and projects. Before founding jürgensarchitekten, in 2007 Natalie had already worked in the industry for 8 years for high end trade fair exhibitions in the automobile sector, and she tells us she still loves her work! “If you love what you do, nothing else really matters,” she exclaims. “Enthusiasm is contagious!” An intensive, highly creative and profound work process, mostly with tight time schedules, is the firm’s speciality, and one of the most important themes for Natalie and Jürgensarchitekten, due to her previous background, is corporate architecture. “We have been co-operating with different companies for m any years and design not only trade fair stands for them, but also showrooms, special corporate events and even working spaces,” she explains. “As our job takes often place in the trade fair halls, we are automatically part of pulsating future trends. “We really get to know our clients with all their facets, and this is, on the one hand absolutely necessary to make this job, and on the other hand our key to success over years. “For our customers, we stand for creativity and trendsetting design and we pride ourselves on listening to our clients and meeting, and exceeding, their needs. We consider our clients as our most important partners looking for the best solution of our task. The product of the designing process should be the baby of all involved partners, last but not least, the client.” Feedback from clients about Natalie and her team is very positive, and the firm has been described as being ‘easy to talk to’ regarding customer’s wishes. She tells us how she approaches new clients to ensure success, and takes us through her design processes. “We are not the shining stars in the architectural sky, but real individual human beings which understand human belongings - regardless of which kind of client we deal with (commercial or private). “Regarding the design approach, we work very much ‘hands-on’, meaning sketching, modelling, testing materials, collecting images, and even writing. During the process, we aim to change the perspective and try to see the project from a completely different point of view in order to increase the design experience. “This experimentation with trial and error leads to a very free and playful design, and one that does not always conform to, or follow, current trends.” So how does Natalie continue to come up with innovative solutions and maintain her success as an award-winning architect? She takes us through her thought processes when it comes to finding inspiration. “This is something I often think about,” laughs Natalie. “As the head of jürgensarchitekten, I enjoy re-inventing and re-thinking my company from time to time. “Obviously, this is a typical and necessary quality of an entrepreneur, but for me, it is an inspiring and creative process that comes naturally and keeps me (and the company) alive. I think it is essential to remain open-minded towards other fields other than architecture.” jürgensarchitekten has built up a large network of contemporaries, consisting of experts all over Europe in many different domains, such as special- effects graphics, lighting, visual merchandising, arts, films and media, urban development and logistics. “Depending on the task we are presented with, we can build up a team of experts quickly and easily, all of whom are inspiring and will push one another forward.” Most successful project One of Natalie’s most successful projects recently was the latest trade fair design for her long- term client, Pfleiderer, which took place in January of this year. She tells us more about the project and what she and the team learnt from it. “It was a big success, not regarding awards or publications, but concerning the harmony between client and the stand as the design perfectly represented the company’s range and the way they see themselves,” explains Natalie. “We developed a huge 3D relief consisting of a kind of puzzle, with parts which interlock one to each other. It was like a big Tetris game for adults that had been frozen as a certain point in time. 1703BU24 “If you love what you do, nothing else really matters - enthusiasm is contagious!”