The Road Ahead – Building a global community

Architects are well-versed in designing spaces that enhance our wellbeing. 
What can we learn from them?

Thomas Hildebrand established his namesake architecture studio in Switzerland after stints practicing in the UK and the Netherlands. Here, he tells us about imbuing designs with care.

What does a well-designed space look like?

It’s about caring about spaces, people, the buildings, materials and lights. The best spaces are those that touch all of our senses. These are spaces where the light is right, the materiality is nice to touch and the view is choreographed into the landscape. You should also, ideally, be able to see the craftsmanship and feel that somebody has actually worked to transform the materials.

How do you ensure that people can feel the craftsmanship?

It’s about knowing how to transform materials and finding the right craftsmen to do it – and listening to them. As architects, we might have an idea that is not so easy to execute but a craftsman can tell us another way to do it. You listen and enter a dialogue – and that’s when the most interesting things happen.