Werkstucke: Making Objects into Houses : Atelier Bettina Kraus

The architectural design process starts with the creation of an object that represents a practical interpretation of a precise, design-specific theme. The werkstück, literally translated as work-piece, is a vehicle through which ideas from the mind can be physically expressed.

The architectural design process starts with the creation of an object that represents a practical interpretation of a precise, design-specific theme. The choice of material, its manufacture and processing have a significant influence on the expression of an object and vice versa. As part of an experiment with isolated aspects such as localization, scale, function, circulation, and points of intersection, the objects become the associative raw material for the architectural design. Step-by-step, the sculptural figures that contain an individual signature each become a house. This procedure generates questions and conflicts that lead to new ideas with regard to form, structure, and space. As a three-dimensional sketch, the object makes the design process, which is characterized by everyday experience, stored images, and lucky coincidence, analog and tangible. The werkstück, literally translated as “work-piece,” is a vehicle through which ideas from the mind can be physically expressed.