Interview with Guel Koc-Janssen

gül koc interior design + construction services is located in Munich, Germany and was founded in 2011. Our mission is to provide comprehensive design solutions that reflect our clients’ needs and add aesthetic, social and economic value through design. We have profound experience in distinct fields, including retail, restaurant, commercial, hospitality and residential, among others. We provide solutions in all service phases (1-9) to our clients, local and international. The studio employs people from many countries, and it is something in which I take great pride. I started my studio because I wanted to create a place where it was possible to experience diversity and share its added value. Our diversity accounts for a large part of our success.

The space, its design and the spectator, each one is a protagonist.

Although retail design is a strong part of my portfolio, I enjoy the challenge that new project types bring. At the moment, I am having fun applying my skills and design sense to furniture and industrial design projects. I am also designing and building a house for the first time, which is exciting.

Sketching is the best way for me to express my ideas. Being able to sketch is a valuable and effective way to explain ideas to clients. It is important not to lose this skill.

I feel energized, reflective, and of course, proud. After each design project is realized our team is brought closer together, which impacts our work positively and drives us to excel.

A successful design takes on a deep understanding of the client’s needs and is well-planned and considered with regard to cost, environment, and aesthetics. A successful project puts the well-being of all stakeholders at the center.

A designer should design with society and the environment in mind and go beyond the aesthetics of a project. It’s important that a designer stay informed with regard to these ever-changing societal and environmental issues in order to be innovative and agile.

Design is becoming more human-centered and multidisciplinary.

I like to work collaboratively. I usually start with a group meeting to discuss ideas and check in with my team.

My day is very active. I start my day bright and early in order to get an overview of the day ahead, then I cycle to the office by 9. The days can be very long depending on my schedule, which include meetings with my team, clients, and traveling to the construction sites.

Work hard and keep an open mind. Don’t fixate on a specific path that your career will take; let life surprise you a bit. Make connections and build your network in a genuine way.

I started my career in one of the largest interior design firms in Germany. I spent my formative years specializing in retail design and fell in love with the vast possibilities that it represented for seeing and shaping the world. I discovered the value in understanding business from the client’s perspective and in order to strengthen this asset, I worked for another five years for a luxury fashion company as a project manager in the architecture department. There, I had the chance to be involved in the brand’s projects worldwide. After this intensive "apprenticeship" in retail, I now dared to start my own business as an interior architect with this as my focus.

I am lucky to employ a team of talented architects and designers from all over the world.

People can get in touch with me via our studio website, www.guelkoc.com, and by following our social media channels: Facebook, Instagram (guel_koc_interiordesign), and Pinterest.