Interview with BORD Architectural Studio

BORD Architectural Studio is a young and successful Hungarian architectural studio whose works are listed among the determining creations of contemporary architecture in Hungary.

BORD Architectural Studio

Designer of the Day Interview

5 May 2020

I started my studies at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics in 1997. As a student I was very keen to start my hands-on experience so in my second year in 1999 I started working for a then leading architectural studio, ZDA (Zoboki Design and Architecture). I carried on working for them until 2006 when BORD Architectural Studio was established and as a project architect I had plenty of opportunity to take part in a wide range of projects from industrial buildings to cultural institutions. I graduated from the university in 2003.
One of the first projects of BORD Architectural Studio was Villa Budapest, which is still under construction. While designing the building we collaborated a number of famous designers such as Tadao Ando or Ilse Crawford who agreed to create a concept for the interior of the building. This was a truly groundbreaking experience for me. https://bordstudio.hu/projektek/villa-budapest/

When I was a child I had this instinct that I needed to build a house for myself. I was always busy building huts wherever I was until the age of ten when drawing took its place. I drew different buildings imagining what it might feel to live in them. This was such a strong intuition that paved my way to the architecture faculty of the university.

In the very beginning I am not yet interested in space and the physical reality of the building. The first step for me is to find the message of the location and the environment the building will communicate. Then I start drawing. This usually is teamwork and it includes making mockups. Almost all projects are different as the key is the message we’d like to pass on. This often comes in a form of a story that will become a strong motif throughout the entire work process till the implementation of the building.

Expectation. Planning is like a journey to an unknown destination. The difference compared to a regular expectation of a journey is that here we have no prior information of guidebooks or internet sources, we don’t know what will await us. The process of creation is like a journey to the unknown but instead of being surprised we are the ones who surprise others by creating something new for the people who will enter our buildings.

I was born and raised in the Hungarian countryside. The most typical aspect of the great plains is its endless horizon, the Fata Morgana, when the earth becomes its own reflection on the horizon. The vision of multi coloured horizontal lines, the blurred boundary of earth and sky is floating in front of your eyes like some mysterious gate through which resides endless imagination. This is the heaven of dreamers and this is where I grew up. Of course, life in this part of the country appears in the most simple of forms. Local traditional architecture is simple and functional. So simplicity and beauty of nature appeared to me simultaneously. As if the functional canvas of the artist with its simplicity could appear next to the colourful painting it beholds.

It is very important for us to share our vision with the people. We established a foundation and a prize that helps communication between young artists or architects and everyday people. This is DECODE – The Space for ARTchitecture. https://www.facebook.com/decodecompetition/
Recently we have been designing larger scale urban spaces and city centers. These keep us on our toes at the moment. In our constantly changing world we have to transform a long lasting story into an urban tissue. This the biggest challenge I can think of right now.

I believe that nature communicates with us and would like to use us as its mouthpiece. In order to be able to hear this we have to shut out all earlier desires and unfulfilled thoughts. A new project is not another chance to manifest an earlier idea. The most important thing is to arrive to the location without preconceptions. This is extremely difficult, trust me, I speak from personal experience.

In business there are many standard ways of selling an idea, these are all very important as this is the common language through which we can find our ways to each other. And yet these are not enough. For a designer manifesting a building is a personal cause. This personal attraction is so powerful that it shows on the designer. It must be visible that they believe in what they have created.

My hobby is creation itself, the mere idea of doing something. Unfortunately most of the days are revolving around solving routine tasks and it is also very common that a normal workday does not offer anything but running the business for days. Therefore I steal some time from the early hours of the morning to practice my hobby. Later on in the day I arrange my daily schedule and start going around the office from project to project. Needless to say, I rarely have time for everything but it is always a priority to encourage young colleagues to make decisions as this is crucial for their advancement.

Trend and fashion are nothing but fast disappearing fads for architects. In the life of a building design trends are no more than short moments so it is dangerous to rely on them. Of course, society and technology are changing and buildings, structures and public places should react to these changes. We have to think ahead when it comes to social trends. A building can only be successful if it can adjust to the altered circumstances in the future too. As an architect I think it is high priority to follow and assess social and technological changes.

Everybody is familiar with the sensation when we see some really simple yet perfect answer to a question and we ask ourselves why the answer did not occur to us. A simple design is crucial. It is also important that a building knows its place: should it be in the foreground or the background? Of course it is difficult to stay in the background and is a common mistake that designers overestimate their products, highlighting them more than it would be necessary.

When we reach the stage of the process that we’d still like to add something but it would only make the building more complicated it is time to stop.

My longest projects was designing a stadium. The main reason for this was that its location was an abandoned forest in the heart of the city. I knew that my job was not only to pull up a sport complex but also to rebuild a whole district. We needed to come up with a catalyst that generated newer and newer developments. Since the implementation it became the centre attraction of the city that attracts fresh investments endlessly. https://bordstudio.hu/projektek/debreceni-nagyerdei-stadion/
At the moment I am busy with an ongoing planning and construction process where a hill is called to life and a new dweller is being moved in to a wine region. Its name is Elf Padi. I honestly hope that by the time it will be finished people will admire it like a sentient being instead of a building and it will have plenty of visitors. https://bordstudio.hu/projektek/sauska-boraszat/

The first names that spring to my mind are architects Louis Kahn and Alvar Aalto.
They managed to reinvent space and balance industrial and craft structures at the same time. I also admire high tech, the buildings of Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers are big milestones in my professional life. I adore the zest of technology and science in a building. I find it inspiring how human scale and industrial measures change in the spaces created by them.

Apart from our Budapest headquarters BORD Architectural Studio also set up offices in Debrecen and Zurich. Commuting between the offices takes an awful lot of time so I try to insert some inspiring recreational programme like investigating a previously unknown part of the city or so. Otherwise I really enjoy traveling around the world. I prefer North European destinations. The goal is mostly nature, abandoned areas. We share this passion with my wife who is also an architect. If it comes to a family outing, we go for a sailing trip with our three children. The family nest is in Budapest, this is where we spend most of our life. We like spaces permeated by light, the closeness of nature so we live in a house surrounded by a jungle like grove. Of course we also like to surround ourselves with pretty objects and paintings - these provide the atmosphere of our habitat.

Our studio is dealing with general planning so apart from the creative parts of the job responsible engineering tasks are also crucial. Almost all phases of projects are carried out in teamwork, we work with a standard staff who are well accustomed to each other. The first ideas are followed by the common task of creating the story that will shape the building. Despite the size of the studio we are persistently maintaining the family like atmosphere. As for the work process I would compare ourselves to a clockwork where each cog has its responsibility and carries out their task flawlessly. In business life we try to get contractors we had already worked with so we can be present in the very beginning of the investment at the business planning phase.

We constantly take on designing tasks pro bono in regions that need support. In the past years we designed kindergartens and public spaces this way.
BORD Architectural Studio established two different foundations. One of them - Aranymadár Alapítvány (Golden Bird Foundation) supports poetry, literature and runs an online magazine: https://drot.eu.
The other one is DECODE Foundation which supports contemporary art and architecture. Every year there is a competition for young artists who then have an opportunity to put their works on display in an exhibition. Its aim is to draw attention to thought driven art and creating value which lead to special places, characteristic buildings and inspiring, intriguing artifacts. https://bordstudio.hu/en/2019/11/29/decode-award-ceremony-2019/

Entering competitions and receiving feedback from a professional jury comprising of the most prestigious members of the profession are essential. It is a great support for us, a sign that we are following the right path. Due to the wide range of international entries, A’ Design Award is a perfect indicator of excellence. The prize is not important only for us, architects but also for our contractors as it adds value to their buildings. On a larger scale the users of the buildings and the local community can also pride on it. We are honored that the International School of Debrecen received gold prize. This is a great feedback that we can create value of.

Interview about Gearing International School of Debrecen Design Interview

Design Legend Interview

5 May 2020

I started my studies at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics in 1997. As a student I was very keen to start my hands on experience so in my second year in 1999 I started working for a then leading architectural studio, ZDA (Zoboki Design and Architecture). I carried on working for them until 2006 when BORD Architectural Studio was established and as a project architect I had plenty of opportunity to take part in a wide range of projects from industrial buildings to cultural institutions. I graduated from the university in 2003.

When I was a child I had this instinct that I needed to build a house for myself. I was always busy building huts wherever I was until the age of ten when drawing took its place. I think it was inevitable that I became an architect.

I already admired architecture as a child and I applied to university so as to design my own house one day. When I was a second year student, I got a full time job in a prestigious architecture studio and I couldn’t even imagine any other career for myself.

Being an architect I am responsible for many different areas as a designer. BORD Architectural Studio has three workshops in two countries. Our headquarter is in Budapest and we have two other offices, one in Zurich and the other one in Debrecen. All of them are dealing with general design i.e.: design tasks from conceptual designs to structural details and so on.

I am lucky because my hobby and my profession are very much alike. It wasn’t difficult for me to leave my comfort zone and deal with architecture 24/7.
Of course it is not enough to spend a lot of time with something. It is also essential to be able to loose ourseves in it. All of my buildings are part of my imagination, I visualize myself in them as I work, study, live there or listen to lectures, you name it.
It is very important to be part of what you’re doing.

A good designer delivers a job right on time, complies with the latest demands, is reliable, successful and has a professional prestige.
A great designer does not necessarily adjust to the latest trends, they’d rather have unique ideas and set trends themselves. A great designer is also prestigious and successful but everybody is aware of their merits and faults.

A really good design is evident. Everybody likes it and everybody regrets not having thought of the same themselves. When meeting a good design it is so balanced that it is impossible to add to it or take away anything from it.

These days there aren’t too many permanent things around us so we’d like to possess such objects or buildings we can attach to. We trust in the timelessness of these and use them as a safe where we can lock up treasuries moments of our lives.

It might sound a bit odd but I’ve always wanted to design a bee hive. This recognition hit me when I saw two bee hives in Ljubljana, in front of the workshop of Joze Plecnik. I find the bee society amazing and I think it would be a beautiful task.

Although I’m an architect I also adore sailing so designing a sailing boat is definitely on my bucket list

I always imagine every building as if they were real before drawing them. In my imagination I try its spaces, I tidy the kitchen, put the objects to their places. I do my best to understand the needs and demands toward the buildings in all functions. My secret ingredient is believing in the project.

The first names that spring to my mind are architects Louis Kahn and Alvar Aalto.
They managed to reinvent space and balance industrial and craft structures at the same time.

I admire high tech, the buidlings of Renzo Piano and Richard Roggers are big milestones in my professional life. I adore the zest of technology and science in a building. I find it inspiring how human scale and industrial measures change in the spaces created by them.

Simplicity and pureness are important to me. The two things that remind me of these are: nature with its honesty and functionalism are the artifacts I adore.

I’m afraid I would have been a lawyer. I like to research cause and effect and endlessly reduce the patterns that generate and activate things.

The simplest form of function where we can find the inventions of our time.

There was an architect behind me with whom we learnt the trade together. Then I married her. I learnt everything from her that I was lacking.

Lack of the internet. Back then professional journals filtered all information so we could only read about the best, it was pretty obvious what was good and what wasn’t.

After graduating I was lucky enough to work together with many of my previous professors who gave me important feedbacks. Later in one of our buildings: Villa Budapest we contracted such professionals to design the interiors like Tadao Ando or Ilse Crawford. These experiences truly shaped my career path.. https://bordstudio.hu/en/projects/villa-budapest/
I think I was at the right time at the right place.

Two years ago BORD Architectural Studio set up DECODE foundation so as to express the thought behind art and architecture. Every year we select the winning short films in a competition. The films are aiming to depict the story behind the concept. I believe that it is more important to talk about the road that is leading to the end result than talking about the result itself. https://bordstudio.hu/en/2019/11/29/decode-award-ceremony-2019/

At the moment we are working on a building where we are experimenting with mixed structures, we signal the change of functions with different materials. We would like to depict functionality in the most basic parts of the building too, hence the structure. https://bordstudio.hu/en/projects/innovation-centre/

Designing a building that is coherent to the core.

It is often disturbing that people expect solutions from me not only in connection with design but in other aspects of life too. Maybe this is because we meet an awful lot of lives, situations and mentalities throughout work that are geared up by the projects. I’m not always conscious of these though.

A good design is simple and evident. Therefore, it is capable of simplifying and making lives more practical. Often they reorganize problematic parts of our everyday lives and provide solutions for seemingly insoluble situations from the background.

A small winery we designed and built up in only a couple of months time. Keeping the old walls of the building I mixed the old and the new structural units openly and visibly. I simply love the honesty of this building.

I’m amazed how we dress up new technologies so people don’t find them too disturbing. Such is the electric car for example that can be easily mistaken for a traditional car. These reflecting motives are remnants of the earlier concepts in my opinion. I’d like to see a change in this, to see that new technology evokes new designs that is independent from the previous ones.

It depends, general implementation can last from a few months up to two years even.

Each building has a story. It is the task of the architect to leave a mark on the building, just like age and adventures are visible on the human face.

Trend and fashion are nothing but fast disappearing fads for architects. In the life of a building design trends are no more than short moments so it is dangerous to rely on them. Of course society and technology is changing and buildings, structures and public places should react to these changes. We have to think ahead when it comes to social trends. A building can only be successful if it can adjust to the altered circumstances in the future too. As an architect I think it is high priority to follow and assess social and technological changes.

Our society is proud of the inventions and innovations of our time and we like to see them around us in our daily lives. This is the very reason why I think it is important to represent technology and innovation in our buildings too.

Since I’m on the road most of the time, online communication is crucial. Usually I prefer freehand drawings which I do on my tablet so I can immediately share them with my colleagues. In the beginning of a project I consider freehand drawings important, because they have time consuming, monotonous parts like shading when we can gain some time. We cannot skim so easily over seemingly good ideas.

Environment is the most important to me, as an architect, especially blending in with it, not to mention contrast of course. These conceptually define colours and materials.

A really good design creeps under my skin and ties me down for a while. I only start comprehending in detail what has happened after this.

It takes a long time to build up the shared vocabulary that is needed for a successful cooperation. This often requires a shared professional background and university years.

I like science fiction because there are no rules or convention in those stories and the authors’ only aim is to break with conventions and rules.

I think real development comes when we can break with the rat-race. Nature is the best master with its simplicity and functionality.

Hassan Fathy would be my choice, I guess.

I don’t feel famous and most probably I never will. It is very far from my personality and I’m a way too keen perfectionist anyway.

I love autumn, its colours and lights not to mention the tastes. Of course autumn means a different thing in each country but in Europe it’s relatively the same.

I value the days when I’m surrounded by calmness and I can draw freely. When more than necessary sketches and mockups are made because there are no deadlines.

It wasn’t quite so obvious that I’d become a designer but building was my destiny for sure as I was always constructing something in the garden.

I’d like to believe that balance will be more important than ever and all people will live in harmony and unison with nature. I believe this determines the future of architecture. In certain geographical areas like in the mountains of India people build bridges from the roots of living trees and this alliance with nature helps them control the floods. I’d like to believe that there will be many similar alliances between man and nature in the future.

Designer Interview

4 May 2020

I graduated from the Budapest University of Technology and Economics in 2003 but I had made up my mind about being an architect at the age of ten. Ever since then I have been amazed by manmade spaces, shelters and monumental buildings, basically everything man shapes his environment with

BORD Architectural Studio was established in 2006. Since then we opened two other offices: one in Debrecen and another in Zurich. Apart from our architectural studio we also set up a building engineering office called BORD HVAC Engineering and we have our own landscape architecture department as well

When completing a concept, we always focus on creating a strong connection between the building and its natural environment. Throughout our work we are inspired by nature.

Public buildings. We thrive to find a way in designing a given function that serves the widest possible social audience.

Although BORD Architectural Studio does not follow any particular style, I have to admit that I really like high-tech, especially Lloyd’s building in London.

Moonvalley/Holdvölgy Winery in Mád was completed in 2012. This building won bronze medal at A’ Design Award. https://bordstudio.hu/en/projects/moonvalley-vinery/ It has been such a great cooperation with our customer that we had multiple projects together and we keep a close friendship ever since.

We choose materials and technology based on the given design of a building. One of our frequently used materials is membrane structure.

During the day I’m busy running the company. My most creative time of day is probably early in the morning when I’m baking bread for my family. ☺

Throughout a design process I try to choose the simplest possible solutions. I like it if spaces are multifunctional.

In the office it is generally appreciated if the most simple design jobs are represented as graphic symbols. We like to admire simple symbols.

I like to assess and experience a building together with its users. This is always a complex and extraordinary experience.

Connection of building and its environment is of utmost importance. We consider it a success if people start using the building and they like it.

Well, I first consider function, for a building should not be self-serving.

We ought to create such buildings that are capable of fulfilling the needs of future generations functionally, energetically and esthetically too.

Environment, energy and technology are more and more important when planning. Design too will evolve being closely connected to these.

Every autumn in the past two years we have organized the so called DECODE exhibition. Our aim with this is to draw attention to the importance of thought driven art and creating value. https://bordstudio.hu/en/2019/11/29/decode-award-ceremony-2019/

I find nature extremely inspiring. I also read a lot and search for the simplest forms, graphic symbols.

Using the already existing assets of the location we provide our buildings a strong and unique character. We build each project item around a story. This story inspires the architectural concept and guides our working process while adding a “personality” to our buildings.

Most of the time I live and work in Budapest but I was born and raised in the countryside. The traditional architecture style of the Hungarian great plain is simple and straightforward. This mentality is genuinely present in my work.

We are the general contractors of our projects. It is important for us to support our clients straight from the first steps of planning.

A project can only be successful if the communication between the designer and the client is flawless straight from the beginning.

We prefer real mock-ups and visual designs. We create mock-ups of whole volumes of buildings and every architecturally important detail too. We present our concept to our clients this way.

Geometric paintings and sculptures.

Every morning starts with taking care of the family. Every other day I bake a bread. These mornings are extremely active regarding architecture for during baking in the early hours of the day an awful lot of sketches are made in the kitchen. During the day I run the company. I do my best to support my design teams and provide them with sufficient information. I travel a lot between our workshops. Throughout these rides I try to insert such programs that broaden my perspectives.

The foundation of a good design is knowing our clients’ needs, aims and mentality in every detail. It is especially crucial to know their long-term goals. We always handle our clients’ projects as if they were our own.

Creation from planning to manifesting is part of our lives, this is a great sensation. However, creative processes do not enable breaks, one cannot stop, cannot leave halfway through. Not at this phase at least.

We aim to give to people, to society, to design feel good places.

It is important to be able to feel with others, to empathies with a whole community even.

Since I’m on the road most of the time, online communication is crucial. Usually I prefer freehand drawings which I do on my tablet so I can immediately share them with my colleagues. In the beginning of a project I consider freehand drawings, sketches important, because they have time consuming, monotonous parts like shading when we can gain some time. We cannot skim so easily over seemingly good ideas.

It is difficult indeed. Daily routine tasks consume most of my days but I try to make the most of the early hours and late evenings.

The most difficult part is setting the deadlines of the process of creating a concept. It may take days to come up with an idea, while at other times it can unexpectedly strike you, completely out of the blue. Once the concept is set, the process can be scheduled smoothly - depending on the size of the buildings they can last a couple of months up to two years.

An artifact should never be self-serving, therefore the question is how it could be more versatile, user friendly and worthy for its users and society.

12 years ago we designed a hotel on a vineyard where we had to consider natural elements (fire, water, earth, air) as parts of the building. When planning this building we had some groundbreaking ideas and novel thoughts that stuck with us ever since, though the building was finally not completed.

Half of our clients are private investors, the other half comprises of urban and government commissions.

My favorite part is when the outlines of the buildings are visible and we try to create its impromptu mockup from the objects around us in the office. We end up with funny, makeshift objects which are extremely useful.

Our office is expanding and progressing. We aim to create an even more efficient general construction process. We already have a building engineering and a landscape architecture department and we hope to further improve with other units.

Though the first sparks of ideas are born in my head, I prefer teamwork. When we get the contract, we start work based on my visions together, as a team.

At the moment we are working on some mixed structure buildings. Apart from meeting the general needs in this case we use more structural materials on the building that all match the functional unity. This is our first such project and we are very excited to hear the first feedbacks.

Our philosophy and our most important projects can be found on the website of BORD Architectural Studio. We are also available via email or personal messages on Facebook and Instagram.

I truly hope that my answers reflect how important the simplicity of a concept and the strong, symbolic cleanness of ideas are for us. Thank you.

Interview about Gearing International School of Debrecen Grand Interview

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Interview with BORD Architectural Studio

Designer of the Day Interview

Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?

How did you become a designer?

What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?

Which emotions do you feel when designing?

What particular aspects of your background shaped you as a designer?

What is your growth path? What are your future plans? What is your dream design project?

What are your advices to designers who are at the beginning of their career?

You are truly successful as a designer, what do you suggest to fellow designers, artists and architects?

What is your day to day look like?

How do you keep up with latest design trends? To what extent do design trends matter?

How do you know if a product or project is well designed? How do you define good design?

How do you decide if your design is ready?

What is your biggest design work?

Who is your favourite designer?

Would you tell us a bit about your lifestyle and culture?

Would you tell us more about your work culture and business philosophy?

What are your philanthropic contributions to society as a designer, artist and architect?

What positive experiences you had when you attend the A' Design Award?

Design Legend Interview

Could you please tell us a bit about your design background and education?

What motivates you to design in general, why did you become a designer?

Did you choose to become a designer, or you were forced to become one?

What do you design, what type of designs do you wish to design more of?

What should young designers do to become a design legend like you?

What distinguishes between a good designer and a great designer?

What makes a good design a really good design, how do you evaluate good design?

What is the value of good design? Why should everyone invest in good design?

What would you design and who would you design for if you had the time?

What is the dream project you haven't yet had time to realize?

What is your secret recipe of success in design, what is your secret ingredient?

Who are some other design masters and legends you get inspired from?

What are your favorite designs by other designers, why do you like them?

What is your greatest design, which aspects of that design makes you think it is great?

How could people improve themselves to be better designers, what did you do?

If you hadn't become a designer, what would you have done?

How do you define design, what is design for you?

Who helped you to reach these heights, who was your biggest supporter?

What helped you to become a great designer?

What were the obstacles you faced before becoming a design master?

How do you think designers should present their work?

What's your next design project, what should we expect from you in future?

What's your ultimate goal as a designer?

What people expect from an esteemed designer such as yourself?

How does design help create a better society?

What are you currently working on that you are especially excited about?

Which design projects gave you the most satisfaction, why?

What would you like to see changed in design industry in the coming years?

How long does it take you to finalize a design project?

When you have a new design project, where do you start?

What is your life motto as a designer?

Do you think design sets the trends or trends set the designs?

What is the role of technology when you design?

What kind of design software and equipment do you use in your work?

What is the role of the color, materials and ambient in design?

When you see a new great design or product what comes into your mind?

Who is your ideal design partner? Do you believe in co-design?

Which books you read had the most effect on your design?

How did you develop your skills as a master designer?

Irrelative of time and space, who you would want to meet, talk and discuss with?

How do you feel about all the awards and recognition you had, is it hard to be famous?

What is your favorite color, place, food, season, thing and brand?

What makes your day great as a designer, how do you motivate yourself?

When you were a little child, was it obvious that you would become a great designer?

What do you think about future; what do you see will happen in thousand years from now?

Designer Interview

Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?

Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?

What is "design" for you?

What kinds of works do you like designing most?

What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?

What was the first thing you designed for a company?

What is your favorite material / platform / technology?

When do you feel the most creative?

Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?

What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?

What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?

What makes a design successful?

When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?