Identity through inspiration:
an interview with the architect Sebastian Metz

Every building project starts with ideas: "We work closely with our clients, getting to know exactly what they have in mind, and add in our ideas and expertise to make their dreams a reality."

Sebastian, when was the first time you encountered the concept of architecture?

My Uncle, Otto Metz, was an architect and it was through him, so to say, that I first came into contact with the profession of an architect. Even as a little boy – I must have been about 10 years old – he allowed me to watch over his shoulder as he worked. I have a funny story about that: I remember asking my Dad exactly what kind of work my Uncle Otto did. He replied that my Uncle was an architect and that he earned his living by designing houses. My answer was: "Wow, if you can earn money just by drawing a few lines, then I want to be an architect when I grow up too!" (laughs) Obviously, I later realised that there's more to it than drawing a few lines. But even back then, this made me realise that you can create something that starts out life as a drawing on a piece of paper. My Uncle has supported me time and again throughout my career and made this profession possible for me. This is why I was so very sad when he died in December last year. But, going back to the question: each one of us comes into contact with architecture every day, and many things we encounter when we do so will also have an effect on us.

Sebastian, wann bist Du zum ersten Mal mit Architektur in Berührung gekommen?
2011 hast du Dein Studium an der Uni in Karlsruhe mit dem Diplom abgeschlossen. Wie hast Du diese Zeit in Erinnerung und wie ging es danach für Dich weiter?

You completed your degree course at the University of Karlsruhe in 2011. What do you remember about your life at that time? How did things shape up for you afterwards?

Even while I was a student, I'd already started working at the Werkgemeinschaft Landau (architectural practice) as an intern. After my intermediate diploma, I was put forward for a bursary, which I subsequently received. That was a great affirmation of my work to date. However, I then had to face a major question: do I go abroad to continue my studies or do I build up a network of contacts for my future here in the Rhineland Palatinate? I finally decided to continue my studies in Karlsruhe, and have had no regrets about that. This was the foundation stone of the architectural practice I run today. To become an architect, and become a member of the Chamber of Architects, I had to spend two years working as a graduate trainee after my degree. I returned to the Werkgemeinschaft architectural practice in Landau to do this. Finally, I started planning my own practice, in 2014. This is something I'd always wanted to do, right from the very start of my degree. I moved into my current premises and embarked on my career as a freelancer in 2015.

„For me, it's not large-scale projects but jobs that are
distinctive and unique, and working with people who have passion and
a clear vision, that is much more important.“

Your own architectural practice, "IDEENREICH", has undertaken an enormous variety of very different projects. These include planning new structures, renovating business premises and even restoring and refurbishing listed buildings. So how does a client engage you as an architect for a new project?

I've thought long and hard about this question, and it's really not that easy to answer. Of course, when I first started out, I was happy for any approaches from potential customers, not least for commercial reasons. However, you also need to have the capacity, such as colleagues, to be able to handle everything. If not, there's the risk that the quality of your work will suffer. Quality is the primary focus for me, and it should never be compromised just because there are too many projects. Gradually, I learned to be more selective. The initial enquiry is often the decisive factor for me. I declined a large number of jobs last year because I felt the enquiry was just too impersonal. The personal touch is very important to me. I must be able to identify with a project. The chemistry must be there. It's not always about large-scale projects. For me, it's having jobs that are distinctive and unique, and working with people who have passion and a clear vision, that is much more important. If my clients can communicate these characteristics, they're already in a good position to attract my interest for a new project.

Mit Deinem eigenen Architektenbüro „IDEENREICH“ zeigst Du eine große Vielfalt an unterschiedlichsten Projekten.

„My colleagues and I believe in building high quality structures,
retaining existing historic features and using sustainable methods and materials."

Wie würdest Du Deinen Stil bezeichnen? Auf was legst Du besonders Wert? Was liegt Dir bei Deinen Objekten besonders am Herzen?

How would you describe your style? What things are particularly valuable to you? What aspects of your buildings are particularly close to your heart?

As I've already said, identity and authenticity are very important to me. If there's no clear direction, there's no integrity and the authenticity gets lost along the way. Of course, an architect always wants to express themselves in a way that recognisably reflects their style, but you shouldn't always build things in the same way. It's good to try out new things. We work closely with our clients, getting to know exactly what they have in mind, and add in our ideas and expertise to make their dreams a reality. Our task is to define a clear outline of what's involved when it comes to the draft, the process and the way we're going to work together. My colleagues and I believe in building high-quality structures, retaining existing historic features and using sustainable methods and materials. For example, we use natural materials or upcycled and recycled elements where possible.

Your portfolio of works includes the renovation and remodelling of the Lutherkirche Protestant church in Pirmasens, for which you won the GERMAN DESIGN AWARD and a number of other prizes. Can you tell us something about this project?

This was a really special project for me. I had always wanted to either build or renovate a church. I was really rather lucky to be approached. At that time, I was in contact with the regional church in Speyer. Due to personal circumstances, a new architect for the renovation had to be found at short notice, and I was asked whether I had the time and interest to become involved with the project. The client, Dean Zimmermann-Geisert, was also a great partner in this project and an advocate for me. Despite this, the project was an enormous challenge. It was my first church renovation, a budget of 800,000 Euros and a tight timetable of seven months construction time. The church had to be finished by Reformation Day 2017 (the 500th anniversary of the Reformation). We stripped out the entire interior, replaced all the electrics, integrated a modern lighting system, replaced the pews with chairs and installed an underfloor heating system. This was a great project, and actually very enjoyable. Everything went well. We completed all the works on time and within budget, which is not always a foregone conclusion.

Sanierung und der Umbau der evangelischen Lutherkirche in Pirmasens

Left picture: © Stephan Baumann, www.bild-raum.com

Sanierung und der Umbau der evangelischen Lutherkirche in Pirmasens

© Stephan Baumann, www.bild-raum.com

Moderne mit Tradition

© Stephan Baumann, www.bild-raum.com

You managed to combine the modern with tradition in this project. Is this mix, this combination, hard to communicate to clients?

Yes, it's actually not that easy. (smiles) The decisions involved in renovating a church become complicated pretty quickly. It's not just the Dean that makes the decisions, it's the entire presbytery. You have to convince people who have different characters and a multitude of ideas, preconceptions and desires. That was the biggest challenge. We had to come to a mutual agreement on issues, to ensure that everyone was happy in the end... and we achieved that. It's having this exchange of views and input from so many participants that shapes the creative process. Fitting out the church as a house of God, but also a modern, multi-purpose space, and bringing it up to date without losing its character – that's what we had to do, to achieve a convincing result.

„Your TECH 196 digital electronic spirit levels are very practical and extremely useful for checking
construction work such as the levelness of a floor screed. Checking and then approving work
is important to me, because every tradesperson can only continue working if specific tolerances are met."

As an architect, you must also have to take a lot of measurements. Which tools help you do this, and why is high-quality measuring equipment so important?

Everything is based on measurements, shapes and proportions. We must be able to create the things we draw on the PC in reality, on site. This starts with plotting the excavation site and continues with the interior construction. For example, when we're measuring the site for a new building, we now use rotation lasers to determine how much earth has to be removed, and where from. There's no such thing as a totally flat piece of ground in nature. This is also important when I am working out the costs: it enables me to provide a reliable costing. We also need measuring devices in a renovation project, so we can draw up the plans of existing structures and fittings. These include laser range finders, laser levels and also traditional rules and spirit levels. We often use a LAX 400 multi-line laser, especially in interiors, for example, as already mentioned, to draw a tile layout on the wall or to create a datum line for orientation purposes. Your TECH 196 digital electronic spirit levels are very practical and extremely useful for checking construction work such as the levelness of a floor screed. It's checking and then approving work that's so important to me, because every tradesperson can only continue working if specific tolerances are met.

Qualitativ hochwertige Messmittel
Nachwuchs für das Handwerk

Your job must mean that you're in contact with tradespersons every day. You must have direct contact with them in many different projects. We know how difficult it is to recruit young people into the building trade. Can you tell us why you think it's worth learning one of these practical trades?

I think practical trades simply have an image problem. Nowadays, it's just a question of marketing. If your advertising is better positioned, you'll reach more people. Our increasingly digitised world creates new types of careers every day and young people find these more tangible than traditional trades. For example, earning money as an influencer looks much easier and more attractive. In contrast, practical trades have a dusty and dreary image. You could reach the younger generation more effectively if they were marketed better. Our education system reinforces this negative image. There's now a degree course for almost every modern profession. Why not for the practical trades? This is why it's even more important to support practical trades and highlight the benefits and unique aspects of these professions. This is one of the most stable employment sectors. There will always be a demand for renovations, refurbishments and new-builds. There are creative challenges and no two days are ever the same. You can make your customers happy with the work you do. Tradespeople who put the quality of their work first will stand out from the others and secure their place in this sector for the long term. I think it's important that master tradespeople are given more recognition and support and that more offers and incentives are provided to make having a career in practical trades more attractive. Maybe this could be achieved by individual offers and targeted training courses or apprenticeships in particular trades.

I'm sure that energy efficiency is a key concern for many architects. What do you think are the latest "trends in architecture"?

As the younger generation, it's our job to build as sustainably and energy-efficiently as possible. This also means using what's already there, rather than tearing it down and getting rid of it. This is evident in the way that it's our younger clients who are more demanding in this respect, and have a greater awareness of this topic. They want natural materials and deliberately decide to use high-quality products. It's interesting, and at the same time a reflection of our society, that we're currently seeing extremes in architecture: on the one hand, there's the trend toward "tiny houses" in which families live together in a minimum of space and, on the other hand, there's huge villas, luxury skyscrapers and overblown decadence.

Website: www.ideenreichmetz.de  |   Instagram: @ideenreich.metz