Rene Kops

I was born in Vienna in the wild 1970s.

About me as a person and as an architect, and about the requirements for high-quality architectural work.

I was born in Vienna in the wild 1970s. My father was a civil engineer, hence from early childhood I was very familiar with the smell of planning offices, the play of the construction sites and the language of the builders.

In the 1990s, I consequently studied architecture and Heritage Conservation at the TU Vienna, the TH Nuremberg and the University of Bamberg.

Before I became an independent an architect in 2001, I was able to "apprentice" with various colleagues.

I worked for Leopold Dungl in Vienna, for Haushoch Architekten in Nuremberg, for Balkrishna Doshi and Rahul Mehrotra in India and for architect Helmut U. Stummvoll.

In 2003 I earned a license to practice as an architect in Bavaria, in 2004 I earned a license to become a civil engineer in Vienna, and since 2007 I've also been a licensed urban planner (Bavarian Chamber of Architects).

In 2007 I was examined and sworn in as a court expert in the field of building construction, certified by DEKRA in 2020 as an expert for the assessment of mold.

I have been running my office for more than 20 years and together with my team I have completed countless buildings in the field of residential and commercial construction.

From my point of view, the 5 most important preconditions for creating architecture:
Team playing, empathy, desire, inspiration, expertise ...

From my point of view, the 5 most important preconditions for creating architecture:

1. Team playing

Alone I am nothing! Forever and a day passes before celebrating the completion of a project. As a rule, we, i.e. my most valuable resources, the employees and I, have to work together over a long period of time.

Then there are the design professionals, the clients, the building authorities, the family, etc.

Communication is key for the realization of successful architectural projects. On the other hand, every form of vanity always gets in the way, because it turns even the best experts into vain lone fighters.

So: only together something comes of it!

2. Empathy

We build for our clients and not for the photo in the architectural magazine. In the forefront of architectural work are the clients visions. The method of designing is therefore primarily speaking and listening!

Only a well-understood vision can also be implemented and only a well-explained decision (or criticism) is also a well-founded one.

3. Desire

No architecture without desire. Architecture is imaginative and creative. The foundation for creativity is desire. Architectural creation without desire is just building a cottage.

And yes, the process of designing is obviously a very enjoyable one. However, we try to find creative drive everywhere. Because the development of details can also be fun, such as creating tenders, local site supervision, checking invoices, etc.

It always depends on the setting!

4. Inspiration

Without inspiration, even the funniest activity becomes routine. In order to keep every project unique and to have a fresh start all over again

In order for each project to remain unique and to trigger the creative kick-off all over again we need inspiration - as much as possible.

Which inspiration is more beautiful than life itself! We love free time. It is completely incomprehensible to me how someone who doesn't want to get to know life can create sophisticated architecture. We don't work day and night and without a break or vacation, but also enjoy our free time and let ourselves be inspired (through travel, music, conversations, sport, literature ...)

5. Expertise

It just doesn't work without competence. Fortunately, after more than 20 years of work, I can rely on a lot of experience, and I am also constantly educating myself in all areas of construction.

But: the most important knowledge is the knowledge about one's own ignorance! If you don't know something and don't ask, you're quite likely to make a mistake. If I don't know something, I'll say so. This is the only way to be taken seriously in the long term.