Page 50 - AIT1018_E-Paper

SERIEN LEHRJAHRE BEI ... • WORKING AT ...

r Den Haag ist mit über einer halben Million Einwohnern die drittgrößte Stadt der
Niederlande. Welche interessanten Seiten konnten Sie dort für sich entdecken?
Auch wenn Den Haag anders als Amsterdam oder Utrecht nicht so sehr von Kanälen
durchzogen ist, spielt Wasser in der Stadt eine große Rolle. Die malerische Altstadt
besteht aus reizvollen Gässchen, hat viele interessante Ecken und den ein oder
anderen außergewöhnlichen Laden zu bieten. Zahlreiche Museen und historische
Gebäude sorgen für ein ausgewogenes Kulturprogramm. Als sehr besonders empfand
ich die Nähe zum Strand, was mitunter sicherlich an meiner Herkunft aus dem bergi-
gen Schwarzwald liegt. Es gibt nichts Entspannteres als an einem Sonntagvormittag
spontan mit dem Fahrrad durch den Dünenpark zu fahren und sich den Nordseewind
um die Nase wehen zu lassen.

M rs Wehrle, you are studying architecture at the University of Stuttgart. In
the context of the so-called international module, you spent the sixth
semester as a trainee at Atelier Pro in The Hague. What made you choose pre-
cisely this architectural office?
In an exhibition of the international module at the university, each year numerous
students tell about their experiences abroad. I got enthusiastic about several contri-
butions regarding Atelier Pro. With idyllic pictures of the office, surrounded by green-
ery, a very family-like working atmosphere was described. The relaxed interaction
and the strong commitment of the office to the social sector particularly attracted
me. After a few months as a trainee at Atelier Pro, I can certainly confirm these first
impressions. Designs and concepts with a strong social aspect have always been
very interesting to me.

Over 45 public buildings published on the homepage, 59 projects of educational
and 18 of healthcare buildings indeed underpin the office’s major focus on pub-
lic-social and user-oriented architecture. Is this also reflected in the discussions
in the office?
Yes, the public-social orientation of the office is also clearly felt during the daily rou-
tine. Not only are projects every week discussed with the entire group but in the
design process it is also repeatedly though about how and what serves the users and
Britische Schule in Amsterdam, Baubeginn 2019 • British School of Amsterdam, start of construction 2019 whether the design conforms to the respective criteria.

Rudolf Steiner College Haarlem, Baubeginn 2019 • Rudolf Steiner College Haarlem, start of construction 2019 Atelier Pro looks back on more than 30 years of experience as an office. How
many employees does the office have today and what are the structures like?
The Pro team consists of a total of 43 employees. The bosses, Dorte Kristensen,
Creative Director, and Ernst Jan Cornelis, Financial Director, are, as their titles indi-
cate, specializing in specific sectors. Among the employees as well, there is a wide
variety of remits distributed over the many architectural departments of the Atelier,
such as the technical department, the office of interior design, the administration as
well as designers and architects. There is an extremely open and friendly, almost
family-like atmosphere and a very flat hierarchy. The bosses sometimes like to chat
at length with the international trainees while waiting together for their coffees.

Which tasks were you allowed to share as a trainee and which are the require-
ments for working at Atelier Pro?
Mastering the English language is of course a prerequisite for the international
traineeship even if it is no problem should not to know a specific term when dis-
Pantarijn Shri Krishna Grundschule Utrecht, 1. Preis Wettbewerb 2017 • Pantarijn Shri Krishna primary school
cussing a design. It is also very much appreciated if one tries to learn a few sen-
tences in Dutch. Before starting the traineeship, I had no experience with the Revit
CAD programme used in the office. It made the start a big difficult but, in retrospec-
tive, I am glad to be familiar with yet another drawing programme. At first, I was
working on a wide range of projects by correcting drawings, dealing with Photoshop
tasks or building models. After a while, I was given more responsibility. I contributed
to a project of interior design and was working long-term on a school project in
Luxemburg which will be the first to combine a special- with a primary school and
a day-care centre. I last worked on a public tender competition for a library where I
was allowed to assist one to two project architects. From the very beginning, I was
always asked for my opinion and it was taken seriously so that dynamic and pleas-
ant team work developed. Not only did I have the impression that my collaboration
was appreciated but that it was also the focus of the Pro team to generate a future-
oriented learning effect for the trainees.

050 • AIT 10.2018