9 minute read
Innermost
What is most important to you in your career especially when you are looking for a job? What are your wishes, what’s your expectation?
I think after 12 years of my career path, I would say I’ve had full exposure to almost every circumstance of working conditions. From small housing practice to large cooperative office. Then to a multidisciplinary practice in Europe of medium-size.
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1. Flexible Working Environment.
This is the most crucial environment I am seeking for. Creatives can’t be tied up on their desk searching for ideas. Exactly like what kind of music you want in your background while you are doing your job, I need a flexible environment to work.
From my experience in Europe, strict working policies do not bring better productivity, neither massive open plan is no longer preferable in Europe demands. I am confident in my production with strong self-discipline. So why put a bird in a cage that must fly?
2. Collaboration.
This is the most commonly used word in our work culture. My experience in multidisciplinary office taught me what it means by true collaboration. It’s an about flat hierarchy and anyone deserves to have their saying. And I mean, collaboration not only between architects but with people from all other fields.
3. Respect and Appreciation.
I would like to believe that I am a global and unique character. I embrace great diversity in thinking and culture with leading ideas from my experience in Europe. I may not be able to show all my skills in one practice however I would appreciate respect on the unusual path I took on my journey.
REALACE Studio
Images of REALACE Studio were taken in collaboration with photographer Jonas Holthaus.
Can you please elaborate more on the ‘unique or unusual path of your journey’?
As soon as I graduated I set a 5-year career plan. I first joined a small practice to learn documentation and site administration to become a registered architect.
Right after, I moved to one of the largest and oldest cooperative offices to learn ‘the system’ of management and structure. During all these years I was teaching at the university. It was a good balance for me, to give and take: sharing.
Then, I wanted an adventure. I packed and flew to Berlin, the city of liberalism and freelancers. I did not even think to decide. I wanted something more than being a typical architect. And I went for it.
Mitte, Berlin
- 2013
I got employed at a multidisciplinary office, all German-speaking, however, I successfully landed and made a great achievement, I believe, even with the language barrier. We started off with 8 people in the practice and in my last month after 5 years, it was reaching 30 employees.
How do you work? You mentioned your expectations but what’s your working style?
First, I hate a messy desk with papers flying around. You think that creatives are messy but that's a stereotype. I think a lot of on my head watching the environment but my right brain does his job well by managing how much time I need to deliver on what my left brain wants.
I only need a good laptop and an internet connection. I'm attracted to the future of mobility and I can work anywhere and I enjoy that. Working in an airport gate before internet cuts off was the greatest moment. I sometimes have to be isolated to bring out my best being focused. But I also enjoy being in my team room for discussion, talking, yelling with friendly interaction.
A plus is a nice seasonal flower that I arrange them myself for our room, a scented candle of my choice and I was main DJ playing music from soft to intense classic, Bach to Beethoven, women vocal jazz in the chilling afternoon all the way to concrete techno if we all agree in the team. When I focus, I play a 3-minute track on repeat for 9 hours. That's 180 repeats. Call me crazy.
REALACE Studio
2016
It sounds like you are very free-thinker but also strategic.
I am both. I strategically manage my week, my day, and I even divide, cut and arrange my hours in a day. I do my best to deliver on time and I don't like staying back in the office and getting home late being tired. For example, we have Monday full review of projects in collaboration, Tuesday to Thursday of production. And we have flexible Friday only doing research, brainstorming, and self-critique my work.
REALACE Studio
And how do you manage your team?
First, I figure out the tasks on each project and the delivery date. We decide on the content that can be produced realistically and with a bit of contingency in time. We know how much time it will take to produce the type of content, I find resources through our head meeting. Then I brief my team.
Marina Marina
Berlin, 2019
My rule is never to distract them. I bring all the tasks written down and we sit down as a team. I ask for their honest feelings about the workload, and if there will be any issues. I avoid unexpected interruptions which happen usually in most practices but I try my best to manage our team production with planned workflow.
Every employee wants to learn. But first, they need to know how to manage their time and understand how long it will take. Time is gold. I encourage them. We must give a chance to let them gain the trust, the working chemistry balances it with the trust owned.
I avoid standing behind the screen and interrupt their workflow. Instead, I give a pat on their shoulders.
REALACE Studio
- 2016
Is this coming from your experience?
Yes. Mainly from teaching and supervising at university, being a mentor. I recently had ‘Share Know-How’ workshops for people who want to learn. I want to share possibly every skills and trick I have.
Daniel, Founder of REALACE
REALACE Studio
- 2016
What is the best thing you’ve heard or remember most from your employer?
First, from Kristen Whittle, he said: “you should be proud of yourself". I was at the age of 26. I never really understood what he meant. Later I naturally understood it’s the work done that I should be satisfied for myself and my effort, it was not to impress any others.
Daniel from REALACE told me once, “You work like a DJ. You get samples, ideas, moods, and researches from all over the place and make something unique out of it.”
That’s when I realised what my working method is. I believe in originality at the same time you need something to start with. Then I walk, research, find what I like, arrange them together to translate the atmosphere I have in my mind.
Could you please elaborate on what it means by creating ‘the atmosphere’?
I no longer think of word or style to come up with architecture. I avoid the following trend. The trend in architecture or even fashion is to analyse and understand. Be ahead of it with your own intuition and philosophy.
I want to imagine the atmosphere. That is by thinking, what’s the tone of space I have in mind, what kind of people and what are they wearing? What’s the smell will be like coming from the texture? How do I feel when I walk or sit in the space?
Neükolln, Berlin
2016
That’s my approach. I love the beauty of form in architecture: composition, the balance, hierarchy and continuity, consistency and singularity from plan to details. But I see these as basics rules to be an architect.
Sonneninsel
How does the art sit on which type of frame is exactly like how we see the composition of plan followed by three-dimensional form. It's a conventional approach so let us be forward thinkers.
Bosch IoT
Ullsteinhaus nexT Campus
Nowadays, I think of the experience more so I stopped taking pictures when I travel because I want to imagine from my memory of the place I have been. The challenge is how do I translate into a form of visualisation to communicate.
Porto, Portugal
2015
Porto, Portugal
2015
Is this coming from your experience?
Yes! I moved to Berlin mostly because of art and liberty. I get my best inspiration in all sorts of art and expression. I first experience art without any preknowledge and research. I think about why and what did the artist had in mind? What is he/she trying to say? Only after then, I read their intention and the meaning in their representation.
Berlin
2018
That’s how I approach my spatial design. You may call it abstract, but the fun part is how I want to make this into reality. I want people to experience before making a judgement. I want them to 'feel' it.
Fortunately, I made a good connection with the art industry and I don't miss out any special openings of art-fair and galleries over Europe. I speak a lot with them and made a good relationship with curators too.
Other than art, how do you find inspiration?
Kreuzberg, Berlin
2013
I’m a very intuitive person and I trust my 'gut' feelings. When I know it's right, I go for it without any hesitation. I don't explore 100 options to find the best solution. I've learnt at an early age that architecture is not a problem-solving task. There may or may not be a correct answer in designing. Trust your intuition. I'd rather create the problem and solve it myself.
Porto
- 2014
I travel a lot to experience different cultures, speak with people who are in a completely different profession and I love watching people on the street.
I avoid travelling to see the architecture with a map on my hand because it becomes too predictable. We are seeing hundreds of images from all of the sources every day. I found myself no longer being surprised anymore by visiting most remarkable places. I did not feel anything but to think 'I've seen that'.
I travel to the city, I walk and eventually find the architecture that sits in the context and experience them. Seoul is a great example of that. Expect the unexpected.
Berlin
2013
What is your final goal or vision?
I want to be a ‘creative director’. This doesn’t exist in most architectural practices here in Australia but rather being called a ‘design architect’. My root is an architect but I want more.
