Just finished your studies and don’t have a plan for what to do next? Accustomed to always having a goal in mind, a big question mark is now spreading and pressing uncomfortably in the stomach area. We have the antidote: young offices and employees who are going their own way. We asked them about their biggest fears, inspirations and successes. Today: Alma Maki.
Just finished your studies – or in the final stages – and really. no. Plan. what to do next? We’ve all been at this point. Used to always having a goal in mind, there’s now a big question mark. Goodbye university, hello fears for the future. We have the antidote: young offices and employees who are going their own way. We asked them about their biggest fears, inspirations and successes.
2013, on a rooftop terrace in India: two construction projects and a wild decision drive Friederike Kluge (*1980), architect, and Meik Rehrmann (*1975), architect and carpenter, to throw themselves into self-employment lock, stock and barrel. A year later, they set up a limited company in Basel. The name Alma Maki: a remnant from their studies, when Alma was the name of a loose group of friends who worked on projects together. Alma Maki is more than just an architecture firm, it is the alter ego of the two architects: The latter has twelve years of professional experience, has worked and studied in South America, Australia, France and Canada and plans or builds houses in Germany, France and Switzerland. And that’s not all: Alma also teaches architecture and construction at ETH Zurich and – would you believe it – has her own construction site vehicle. In 2018, the architecture firm won the Foundation Award, the sponsorship prize for young Swiss architects.
Which building left you speechless recently?
The Jainite Dilwara Temple near Mount Abu in the Indian state of Rajasthan.
What breaks your heart?
When building culture is replaced by the pursuit of profit and our cities are built according to these rules.
What caused your last nervous breakdown?
Black paint on exposed concrete, gable walls without foundations and a dead dog around whose grave a new building had to be planned.
What shaped you during your training?
Numerous conversations and discussions with fellow students in the drawing room, semesters abroad, extensive travel during the semester break and professors and assistants who, in addition to the rules of architecture, also conveyed passion, joy and curiosity.
What must architecture not be under any circumstances?
Washable and bloodless. Dictate life to the users. Have no surprises in store.
Let’s be honest: how many night shifts do you do a month?
Hardly any. But the evenings are often long and weekends are rarely completely free. Work and life have grown even closer together. Nevertheless, the feeling of freedom is tremendous, as is the joy of being able to create something yourself.
What’s next?
If only we knew! Hopefully lots of interesting projects, unconventional builders and enthusiastic craftsmen.
The Baumeister Academy is an internship project of the architecture magazine Baumeister and is supported by GRAPHISOFT and BAU 2019.
