20-05-2022 in Our services, Our philosophy

"We see ourselves as caretakers"

A conversation with Christoph Helbich about SHA’s self-image

Four years ago, the first SHA-journal was published four years ago. What has changed in the meantime at SHA done?
We have moved into an incredibly great building on Phoenix West despite the Corona pandemic, we have growth, have expanded our location in Berlin strengthened and are an international partnership with Gina Barcelona Architects. We were also able to improve our speand expand our fields of activity. Overall, our office has developed extremely well.

Dthink Shere of something quite Special?
In the past, our focus was primarily on the planning of large building materials stores, bicycle centers and Sports facilities. Today we know that our specialization is much broader and we are always able to advise our clients clients particularly well when it comes to complex material andand goods flows, production and logistics processes or the systematic the systematic organization of a wide range of functionsareas. We have a cross-industry know-how and know how to structure these processes. As a result, many more sectors have been added to our other sectors have been added.

Is this what is commonly known as Architecture?
It is far more than that; it is ‘architecture plus’. Since we have functional processes come first and the logistical processes are initially logistical processes are solved and organized first, we can we can rule out arbitrariness in the design process. Good and meaningful architecture is the logical derivation of function. function.

The 125-year-old quote from the Chicago architect Louis Sullivan “Form follows function” is more relevant for us than ever. We take a very close look at the location and users and question existing processes. We can do this with many similar situations and companies and, as outsidersas outsiders, we can see very well where the bottlenecks are. In many cases, we tell the client what he needs, without them giving us a concrete space program.

What do Sou mean when Syou speak of “Planning from a single source” speak?
As complex as the internal functional processes are today the construction and planning process. No one can be in to cover all of this alone. All the more importantIt is even more important to build up a network of specialists the right partner is available for every individual requirement. is. Like the conductor of an orchestra, we conduct all specialist disdisciplines into a joint work. At the end of the day, the client can rely on SHA as a single point of contact. only one contact partner.

The pure contractual relationshiprelationship is almost irrelevant: either the client commissions us separately or to us as a representative of the specialist disciplinesneral planner. Our understanding of responsibility towards The costs to the client are the same in both cases. We are interested in a Comprehensive advice for the client – and that beyond the buildingbeyond the legal requirements. We see ourselves as management consultants in functional aspects and, above all, as a caretaker for the whole.

Which Role of the colleagues in Berlin and Barcelona?
This is exactly the same basic idea: the projects are becoming increasingly complex and we want to specialize more and morespecialization, so we need more colleagues with special Specialist knowledge. Last year, together with Gina Barcelona Architects, we the competition for a large grammar school in Düsseldorf won. They have experience in school construction, while we are strong in execution. At the same time our office in Berlin to meet the demand from our constructionthe space available to us. We are is now really broadly diversified.

Dt’s fair to say. Und what comes as Nnext?
At the moment we are planning a green parking garage with wooden slats and vertical planting. The entire façade is covered in green like a trellis and can absorb the _CO2 that is building is still released is converted into oxygen by photosynthesis. This is absolutely low-tech and our contribution to combating climate change.