Original subtitles

Centre for Virtual Reality Laval, France. Competition.

Who is the contractor?

The contractor is made up of the university

and private companies in France.

A green field.

It can be up to 15 metres tall, we could build higher...

but we have to consider the concept and what we can do.

They want everything tied together: more like a shopping mall.

So we could build a tall Totem Pole, signaling "hello, here we are!".

University Building, Potsdam Construction phase

It's organic but it's not light-resistant.

That would be nice if it fades, hmm?

That would help things enormously, but then...

These are the ones I picked.

I picked it not based on the numbers but on the rendering.

There are two possibilities:

Standard colours, or we choose any colour we want.

That means what...

This is the same roof like the EFM, identical.

This could be pure aluminium.

We'll use the same textile floor covering as usual...

Back to the question...

Should we have the windows in two colours or not?

I think that's number 500. No it's 8000.

Folding and Stacked Chairs Venice-Mestre, Italy. Development phase.

This one here has more options than the others.

You could put a brace on the back, so it's free when it folds.

Show me again.

Here at this point with the strut you could mount a brace.

Or put the brace across the supports.

Exactly. You could put a brace here...

A brace on the back and also in front.

The same one in steel.

The same one...

It's a bit different...

The proportions here are odd.

Since this one is the widest,

the proportions seem a bit...

...strange, no?

Both seem a bit stiff, perhaps since they

are designed with such straight lines.

That's only if you really want to design

the seat to flip up towards the back.

Or you could flip it from the front.

It folds up from the front, but then you need a bridge support.

I can't demonstrate it well with this one.

Let me remove the seat.

It's built a bit different.

That's rather clever actually.

You don't have to use all these annoying parts.

You don't need them.

It's more effective, you just have a few elements.

Six struts the same length, and this support.

It's still not quite as simple as it could be.

It would be nicer if it was just 3 supports which

are cleverly connected to make this shape.

For now it's a shame...

... it seems a bit slapped together.

This is really brilliant here.

That the seat itself keeps this from moving apart.

Otherwise you would have to add a stopper here.

To keep it from collapsing.

Can you give me the seat again?

It's mounted on top.

So here's where it would snap in.

How do we release it?

Like this, right?

It's stuck somewhere...

You've got to take it off, I'll break something.

That's the way to release it, right? - Yes, probably.

But I had a different candidate recently, it worked quite well.

I'm not sure if it helps any, but...

One reason it seems so stiff is the straight back support.

Theoretically you could bend it a bit, right?

You keep the functionality, and it's easy to produce using wood.

It's something to try for sure.

But now we're still dealing with the three straight supports.

Yes, it has got something, I like the idea.

But it just seems a bit stiff.

Yes, I think so too.

We now have to build one that you can sit on.

It looks like it's uncomfortable, but maybe that's deceptive.

University Building, Potsdam. Construction phase.

Can we have the two panels next to each other please?

They're on the table, they're the same ones.

So you can see them in a smaller size.

Yes, I'd like to see them hung together.

Since we have this bend where they meet each other.

Those two, right.

Those two are clearly darker than the others.

That's true.

Here's the other one too...

No, please don't put them down flat...

then the light reflects differently.

This is how the bend looks.

We'll bend in the right direction.

No. We'll bend like this.

The building is a bit like a "folding screen"...

...these repeated angled walls.

Move into the sun or shadow, otherwise it's difficult to judge.

This is full sun.

Now let's all move into the shade.

Let's turn.

You could do that if you had a building,

which we obviously do not have.

If it were a geometric building with a clear form...

in its 3-D spatial sense, which was subtle...

and integrated itself into the environment.

I simply believe...

this expression through the form suffices...

It doesn't need an additional expression through colour.

The building does have a very unique form.

It presents itself with this form.

So the question is whether this form has to be amplified by this colour.

Tina, can you come over here?

Take this, and press it tightly here.

Here? - Yes

Centre for Virtual Reality Laval, France. Competition.

University Building, Potsdam. Construction phase.

The right one? The other was also very bright.

We feel that the panel that Mr. Bartenschlag put on the right...

would fit better on the north façade.

The brighter or stronger colour would be better...

on the west side where the sunlight shines.

So it would shine even more.

We understood that, but we agreed last time...

that we didn't want yellow or yellow-green tones.

Instead we prefer colours that integrate with the property.

So actually we requested colour tones like that door over there...

...or something like over there at the library.

So we could play within that spectrum we agreed upon.

That we could proceed...

The colours aren't as intense as last time.

But you still propose yellow or green tones that aren't on the property.

That's how I see it too.

The one on the left is incredibly bright.

Imagine this long façade in this yellow...

and the other in a different yellow shade, and you walk directly towards it... no.

I can understand that you have a different opinion.

But in the end, we are the contractors, right. -Exactly.

We have to live with the building later.

That's right.

That's not what was planned, but alright.

What do you think of the big one on the left?

Nope.

Just look how intensely that stands out.

It's like an "optical colour mix".

The one on the right...

The right one isn't bad.

Maybe it has to be a bit darker.

The left one could be toned down more.

A bit less pigment.

The darker one on the right, yes.

This colour, but a bit darker.

You are welcome to rework the concept, but I'd like to see...

a variation based on the colours present on the property.

The concept is intended to be a "reaction".

A reaction to the surroundings.

You don't have to precisely replicate the colours

already here, like that apricot building.

I really think the colours fit.

This yellow toned courtyard fits...

in an environment with blue colours.

I'd still like to see another variation.

To see the relationships here at the site.

Yes. We'll do it.

Apartment and Commercial Buildings Strasbourg, France. Competition.

Hi Stephanie, it's Matthias.

Do you have a minute?

We want to discuss the ceramic façade in Strasbourg.

We're upstairs with the project.

When Stephanie gets here we should concentrate on the façade.

Are you familiar with this, Stephanie?

You know the façade plans?

No.

In Straßburg, this "STO"façade, you know it.

You can see it clearly here.

A perforated façade which opens up toward the bottom.

There are large openings at the base, which get smaller towards the top.

They have pockmarks or whatever you call them.

Something like relief panels which protrude.

They should all be made from ceramic.

But they are rather expensive, 280 per square metre.

280?

Yes, but only for the material, without windows, etc.

With mounting?

Mounted, yes. But that's only part of the process.

You have to figure in the concrete façade.

The main part of the surface is concrete,

and that is part of the cost of the façade.

If we had a partial model, that would be super.

If we ourselves are convinced.

We have to see it first, we aren't 100% certain, right?

It looks good in the pictures, but it isn't worked out in 3-D yet.

Click "View", there.

But I don't see the green ones, oh here.

These are all blue.

Folding and Stacked Chairs Venice-Mestre, Italy. Development phase.

See you later.

The more this moves forwards, the more space you have here.

Maybe we could do it differently, maybe...

Maybe make it from...

...from steel?

No, that would be a shame.

I think it should all be made of wood.

I'm not so sure about that idea...

...everything from one board. - So now you've added steel braces?

Yes, I wanted to explain that.

I just thought...

We shouldn't be dogmatic.

Why force this idea of a design from one material?

Since it would simplify the production.

Or something like this.

This would really...

No, that wouldn't be right.

We can't do that.

It would be a real shame.

Since the basic idea was:

it should be produced by a milling process and all from one material.

You think we should stick... -These join supports aren't good.

Otherwise why not just screw the whole thing together.

If you start adding support pieces...

Yes, I see, but...

I'm not sure.

This one would be completely glued.

This one would also be...

...well, I'm not sure.

I'm no longer convinced of this all-from-one-board idea.

It seems like an artificial rule.

I'm not sure.

Maybe we toss the concept, and design these elements from a different material.

These are really simple parts.

They are really easy to mill.

Here's another variation.

You could design something like this.

This kind of construction.

Consider this type of bent support...

From metal? - Or leather covered, for inside.

It's rather simple...

It's clipped in. With screws.

What are your issues, I didn't understand...

with the all-from-one-material idea?

What exactly are your...

Your problems?

It seems to me that has been tried.

That it was tried quite often, and...

It seems like the concept is... - A gimmick?

Yes, it's something a student would like to try.

This principle...

But I'm not sure, maybe not.

Maybe I'm wrong.

It was the impression I had when I started.

That it was a dogmatic idea.

Like adding a slot here and a groove there.

Let's try again before we reject the idea entirely.

Initially we wanted to develop a constructive, interesting idea.

An intelligent system, which is clearly visible.

Since that was the weak point of the lounge chair.

It has a nice form, and it's comfortable.

but you have no idea how it was made.

It's rather dubious the way it's constructed...

The form is made of foam, but inside there's a steel frame.

We should find a solution that is simple in construction,

plausible and transparent, but still comfortable and practical.

That's mandatory.

I'd also say this looks like a student's project.

You would agree.

But this is the first round... - Yes.

I think even the comfort factor and

appearance has markedly improved.

Good, let's sum it up, that I'll do another variation.

That's my suggestion, yes.

Ok, I'll build it.

I'll present it first as a model, right?

Hello. - Good morning.

Over here? - I forgot the vase.

No vase...

Bye, have a nice week. - You too.

Apartment and Commercial Buildings Strasbourg, France. Competition.

Handles for windows and doors. Development phase.

Then I set this protruding edge back,

so that it doesn't have a bulge here.

And you made the bottom straight?

You can see the bulge at the bottom is also gone.

But I think you can see it a bit better here

Can I move it?

I'll set it over...

We have it at a strange perspective.

Yes, exactly.

But all locks are made that way.

When you pivot the window it would be like that.

No, you open the window like this.

You pivot it like this.

The other one is mounted there.

Which one? - The one at the back.

Let's look at them with the windows.

University Building, Potsdam. Construction phase.

Centre for the Virtual Reality Laval, France. Competition.

Renovation of an Office Building Munich, Construction phase.

Should we look at the window handles first?

Here they open, going this direction.

I hope that it doesn't fall off when it's open.

Since it has this bulge here...

just like the other one, it eliminates the danger of gripping too close.

Gripping too close to the edge.

The hazardous part of this window is still...

that the point of rotation is very close to the frame.

This handle doesn't function correctly in this direction.

Especially when closing it.

It actually does work when closing the window.

This one works even better.

It prevents injury, when I close it.

Even like this.

The shape alone prevents my hand from coming too close to the frame.

Which in my opinion is really critical with this one.

This one doesn't set the safe position of the hand.

If you get your hand caught here, that's a serious injury.

We have to minimize this danger, even if I can't banish it entirely.

Further development has to be based on the technical requirements of FSB.

I can't explain them all, but there are certain steel parts...

and various requirements of the mold.

But this handle comes closer to the edge, you can see that clearly.

We have to work on it, nothing else will help.

University Building, Potsdam. Construction phase.

We have to put two colours next to each other.

One is yellowish, as you can see.

Yellow and a bit of caramel, or however you'd like to call it.

They're one pair.

The other pair was chosen in relation to...

the brownish-grey or yellowish-grey on the northern side.

The neutral grey brownish-yellow, or sand colour if you like...

this will come on the west side.

I like this rather neutral, modest colour here.

It lets this object, the "objet trouvé", stand out.

That's why I would argue for the first, more neutral pair.

That is an interesting aspect, with the neutral colours.

They emphasize the perception of the older building, I like that.

I don't have any problem with that choice; I think it's very good, yes.

Can I make one comment at this point:

We found your criticism very helpful.

We then had to rethink and rework the concept,

and such projects are always collaborations.

The architects or planners aren't alone,

it's a conversation between users, contractors and ourselves.

A process of dialogue. - Exactly.