We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Udo Hubert Dagenbach ("UHD").
Udo Dagenbach in glasser and dagenbach creates border crossing design between landart and regular landscape architecture and shows new possibilities to design urban landscapes in many different parts of the world.
Udo Hubert Dagenbach Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Udo Hubert Dagenbach.
Udo Hubert Dagenbach Design - Prison History park and memorial
Udo Hubert Dagenbach Design - garden cube sculpture
Designer Interview of Udo Hubert Dagenbach:
DI: Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
UHD : I started first sculpting stones at the age of 20 because I realy like natural stones and learned how to work with it through my father. Then I decided to study landscape architecture. During studying I worked together with a Japanese Stone sculptor in Hannover, Berlin and Norway. During this cooperation I noticed that only sculpting would not be enough for me. I wanted to create the surrounding of outdoor sculptures as well. And so the decision to work as a landscape architect was only logical to me. I never lost the will and wish to do sculptures so it became a part of my work wherever it was usefull.
DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
UHD : We started our landscape architecture office in 1988 in the west part of Berlin, just a year before the Berlin Wall was falling. Together with Silvia Glasser I am running this office now with a team of 7 landscape architects. We are involved in all kind of design related to landscape architecture: public parks, private residential project, school and colleges, real estate developments, Hotels and wellness clubs , art projects. Since 2004 we decide to work abroad as well. Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Austria, Italy, Belgium and recently Tchad in Africa . We realy love the challenge to work abroad, both designing and helping to realize the projects. Beside the cultural differences it is also important to deal with different climate conditions. Africa needs other plants than Siberia.
DI: What is "design" for you?
UHD : Design means to shape any kind of things according to a real existing or supposed purpose. If there is no purpose we cross the border to art. There are many hybrid ways of design which constantly switch between art and design. The design process is more or less a process of communication within a team until it is stopped at a certain point when all think that is good to finalize the project in this status.
DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
UHD : On one hand I like to design landscapes, city squares, gardens and especially hotel surroundings and on the other hand I like to develope ideas independant from the requests of client. I like to walk the thin line between minimalism and triviality. It is always very exiting when you have developed a simple design which meets the intention of a client precisely.
DI: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
UHD : It is definetly the one which won the Gold A design award this year. Its full name is "Moabit Prison History Park". It is located north of the new Berlin Central station. We started in 1990 wit a research project to find out if the area of the former Prussian Penalty insitution / prison was worth while to become a listed building. At that time it was a storage area without any recognition in the public. Its location not far away from the Berlin wall led to a 40 year long "sleep" of the 2,8 ha former prison area. In the night when the Berlin wall was falling - 9th november 1989 - I crossed the border from West to east there without any documents against the streem of people coming from east. I did not know that the close by prison would be part OUR history then for the next 17 years. That is how long it took from the first research contract until we hande the Park over to the public in 2006/2007. The design process was permanently interrupted because Berlin was changing so fast, that all kind of other projects had to be done first. But it was never forgotten. The city of Berlin and the district of Berlin Mitte contracted us in 1996 to continue our design. We had strong support from local citizens and the listed building departement. When we finaly could built the Hybrid between memorial and recreational park the area was surrounded by so many construction projects that we even where not able to place a sign announcing the project. As the space was framed by a big old prison wall around it and many trees have ben grown from post war times in its center we where free to create an architectural garden that documented the prison structures with means. of land- and minimal art. We installed architectural interventions, that can be also regarded as abstract surrealistic elements. From every point of the park you will always 2-3 of them, so that there are allways points to attract the visitors curiosity. The most important design task was to let the park tell the prisons story without overloading the existing historic elements by too strong design. Modesty and back attitude helped to balance the new and old elements. The former prison is now a peaceful "hortulus conclusus" inmidst of the city center. We kept the entrance the way that you have to push yourself and your curiosity to step in. That keep the tension to enter a former prison and not only a park. The Berlin wall fell but the prison walls stayed. Beeing able to constantly go through them is also a symbolic act referring the impotant changes in 1989.
DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
UHD : in 1988 , a week after we opend our office, a chocalte producing company with a production in Berlin asked us to do a 4x4 m atrium garden above the choclate pruduction. The order of the design was done on order list for raw choclate. They replaced the word choclate by hand with "garden design". We have designed and we created a kind of Japanese garden Atrium garden. built a water garden with a little fountain. We could organize left over stones from a Japanese Garden that was built at that time at the Japanese embassy. Today the garden vanished due to construction of a new building.
DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
UHD : Natural stones and plants in all varieties form our work. Stones can be substitued by concrete. Plants you can not subsitute. Landscape architectural works needs to implement many c raftsman skills. The research tools in the internet have increased the workflow in design processestremendiously. They are as important as the digital means of Photoshop, 3d animation programs. Next step will be a constant use of 3d printers and virtual reality. Still I feel comfortable with fast and rough pencil sketches to kick off the design process.
DI: When do you feel the most creative?
UHD : After "breeding" some days on a design task, the idea mostly pops up during not design connected activities. Then the design process starts to be most productive when you discuss it with the team. Can be during a flight, a walk, after sleep, during cooking.....
DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
UHD : Do we meet the purpose of the design exactly? Are blancing out functionality with the look / impression. Do we tell a to chatty story or did we find a precise formula for the design? Do we find the right empathetic language for the task?
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
UHD : It is timeless feeling during a design process. When I think we are close to a good solution or we are on the way to find a stream of so lutions it is uncomparable with any feelings. It is propably only to describe with the definte "now"feeling.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
UHD : Ulitmate happiness disturbed by the immediate flow of ideas how to improve it.......
DI: What makes a design successful?
UHD : If you and others have the feeling that it is not one of many solutions. When it is "the" solution.
DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
UHD : Is it understandable. If not is it so surprising that understanding it later makes it unique - stunning. Does it work with its purpose if there is any. If there is no direct purpose to it, I expect to be impressed by an innovative story.
DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
UHD : A designer does not change the world but is part of the"game" and that way is responsible to reflect what materials are involved in the design. Are the materials sustainable or produced in a fair way. Is there any chance to use material and work processes that meet a certain level of environmental and humanistic standards. If we ask ourselves about the need for the product we are designing it is getting complicated. It is not designer s task to decide if something is a necessary product or not, but it is everybodys task to check what is connected to a production: unhuman production methods, environmental impropper production harming nature and humans. If we can decide and refuse to participate we should do so, the act like that the better it is, but it is not easy to draw a line without being a smart aleck. It is the same with religion - who are to tell others what they shall believe or not.
DI: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
UHD : The next big evolution if not revolution will be with the fast development of AI artificial intelligenz. Those future technology will be presence soon and change a lot. The research capabilities will be able to create AI design and that way substitute many of us in future. But may be I am wrong and the capality of AI will just improve our design results and it is another tool to increase design quality. A strange development in the llast two years was that many people love handdrawings again. Since then I exhibit them in the office and encourage the younger team memembers to train handdrawings as well. I think there is a connection between brain and hand that influences our creativity. So beside AI, 3D printers and virtual reality we should not forget our archaic tools. I guess we will have for some decades a parallel - human design - which propably can provide more empathetic designs. The new technologies will and are already boosting complet new design solutions. For example there is a tremendious creative development in classical artistic ceramics as far I can follow that. 3 d printing has just started to change the way to produce things. A kind of postindustrial industry is developing. As mentioned before virtual reality will give an add on to that. We will see things we can not even imagine today, because our capabilty to develope ideas is limited by our brain. The AI will put this on another level.
DI: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
UHD : In 2013 I did the project "A star for Mies", which was meant to be a birthday present to Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, a German architect, who would have had his 125 th birthday that year. His last project in berlin before his exile in 1933 is situated in Berlin Hohenschoenhausen , a small Bungalow. Today it is a Museum and municipal galleryWe initiated a garden installation referring to the monument for the killed socialists Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg. Mies designed that monument which was destroyed by the Nazis in 1934. The soviet star in that monument was transformed in our work to a mean of communication. The installation was changed in 2014 to a silver coloured garden as the gallery had a year long projects on the colour grey in Art. The following year I curated the exhibition of MoNO a japanese architects and artists couple from Yokohama with their project "invisible tea house". They used the garden installation as a tea garden. Right now we designed a small educative garden for the International garden exhibition in Berlin, called the "Aquaponic Garden". A 120 m² garden using the principals of aquaponic gardening on a living wall. Next year I am planning to exhibit all of my work , drawings, sculptures, jewelry etc. 30 years glasser and dagenbach, 60 years old........
DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
UHD : I am a visual junky. So museums - no matter where- are very important, also plattforms like pinterest a super useful. I need a lot of time to think. During the many flights I enjoy to think about design problems. I am interested in archeology , sculpture, land art, painting, geopolitics, reading in general and I like to keep the luxurious habit to built up my own opinion on any kind of issues.
DI: How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?
UHD : The settings of gardens and parks form backdrops before which visitors, whether public or private, are able to act out a role in their very own play. The manner in which we approach the design of gardens, parks and landscapes depends entirely on the character of the space and how it will ultimately be used. We consider both the shape and structure of the existing surroundings and, naturally, the needs and wants of the visitors or clients, and then act as an intermediary and instigator between the space and the user. We see ourselves as a tool which can be used to lend shape and expression to the conscious and subconscious wishes of clients or visitors. The design must be strong and clear so as to bestow lasting energy, expression and purpose upon the open space we have crafted. Our aim is to create gardens and parks with which we can identify on an emotional level, yet which still retain a lasting, timeless clarity. Our garden-creations are therefore not restricted by genre. We are able to bring our ideas to fruition whatever the desired style. A contemporary style is neither a prerequisite nor a hindrance to achieving high-quality design.
DI: Where do you live? Do you feel the cultural heritage of your country affects your designs? What are the pros and cons during designing as a result of living in your country?
UHD : Since 1980 I am living and working in the former West Part of Berlin, Germany. After the wall was falling in Berlin the city developed to a very international place. It is the gate to East Europe. This has big influence both on the clients we have as well as on the culture environment. I was lucky to see some of the most important exhibitions on the avantgarde artist of the 1920 ies. This had a big impact on me. There is a big competition in town between colleagues, that pushed us to go abroad as well. This again changed our way of thinking on our job in general. To speak it out clear: without Berlin I would not be what I am and that is also the case for our team. The big competition on the other hand is lowering the income.
DI: How do you work with companies?
UHD : Companies are either clients, suppliers or the one who construct our gardens and sculptures. You have to develope a fine sense to the craftsmen who realy are good in their job, we need them permanently . Suppliers are the one you have to watch permanently, to find out if they are improving or losing contact to innovations. As clients I prefer family run companies. The decisions are made faster and easier there.
DI: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
UHD : If I look back on successful cooperations with companies i can summerize that most contacts have been made through persons who like each other. Still today this is the main reason for cooperations. The internet and there presence of a desigener there is another good chance for contacts. But our best projects we received through recommendations of other important companies who judge is regarded as trustful.
DI: Can you talk a little about your design process?
UHD : After we have defined our task in written or loose sketch forms we start with rough sketches on all kind of papers. I take photos of sketches with the smartphone an send them to the office where they then produce more precise options of a sketch. We sketch again on the options until we find the ones we want to follow. Meanwhile we research books, magazines and internet on similar solutions or new idea. Out of a bunch of images we develope then OUR version. Usually in Autocad, then in 3 d Studio max or cinema 4d we develope what we want to present to the client. Then the presentation phase is starting . We try to unify a little the way we present. Usually all is presented as brochure of ppt which is flexible enough to create hardcopies in A4 or A3. Some times it happens that I am just writing what I see as asolution and somebody else developes the layout from that. That works quite well. We still are missing to do more work on the model.
DI: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
UHD : Right now I am very happy with a SONORO compact Receiver. Good sound, nice wallnut corps. I really still love the massive birchwood furniture I designed and let built 15 years ago. they are very minimalistic and made from massive wood. Meanwhile they lost their good smell but the birchwood has this nice hoeny colour now. A center of our relaxing life is the semi opend sofa MULTI from Ligne Roset. In the entrance we have a kind of afrivan kings chair, but not African style. The Arfrican designer tried to do a chair in Bauhaus style. This is a very unique peace of furniture, I like the African cultural answer to Bauhaus ideas. WE still love the kitchen knifes, forks and spoons from the POTT factory. We bought it in 1885, it is the design for the olympic games in Munich 1972. Timeless retro. For one of my sculptures i needed a soccle. So I decided to take the old BISLEY metall element and wrapped it in birchwood inclusive the 6 drawers. It works perfect and the old metal drawers and frame disapeared.
DI: Can you describe a day in your life?
UHD : I usually wake up at 5.30 and then check the latest news and informations through pinterest etc. - visual breakfeast. Around 8.00 8.30 I am in the office which is about 12 Minutes from home by car or 15 minutes by metro. If it is construction season usually first phone calls are coming in at 8.30 to 9.00. Visits on site or meetings with clients follow. Coming back to the office coordination meetings are held, usually project by project. We have a very short communication process. Usually design works starts after all meetings are done, or I use the time from 6-8 in the morning at home or in a Hotel when I am travelling. Interrupetd by phone calls I usually stay in the office until 18.-19.00. If I have important design work, I prefer to stay at home and work there. Preferanble from 5.00 to 9.00 in the morning. But this a day at home in Berlin. Many other days, may 100 a year I am travelling , mostly by plane, sometimes by car. Those journeys usually start at the weekend, not loose to many days during the week. A business trip lasts mostly around 3-4 days. Russia, Caucasus, Italy or London to meet Architects there. Sometimes I visit the baltic countries like Lithuania.
DI: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
UHD : Don´t give up, although you think time is not on your side - It is, be sure - keep on working. Stories about miraculous carreers are only stories. Most of the success is hard work combined with a little bit of luck and talent. Start to write and publish as early as possible, even thow you think you have nothing to publish. Be sure during thinking and writing you will develope a good story worth while telling it.
DI: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
UHD : You do not have to think about the purpose of life. The day you start as a designer you are sucked in a swirl of thoughts, ideas, possibities. The work fills you out. the never ending stream of options keeps you brain constantly busy. What else could be more fulfilling. Sometimes life delivers you jobs where you ask yourself, why am I doing this, that wastes valuable life time. The task, the client , both is not good and on top the payment is bad. But that is not a constant status, but we have to overcome such situations and create better one out of it
DI: What is your "golden rule" in design?
UHD : Never start with an arrogant approach. Do not "overdesign". Less is more
DI: What skills are most important for a designer?
UHD : Passion, Visual memory, understanding of space and texture and may be most important: good communication skills.
DI: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
UHD : Paper and pencil for sketches, smartphone to take photos and shar them with the team. a stock a books and magazines in the office biblioteque , also in the digital biblioteque. Then all classical software for design is a must to come to a good presentation status.
DI: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
UHD : You are right. My biggest fear is to have too many projects and get lost in too short design periods. A true horror vision. It did not happen very often. Main skill should be flexibility. If you need to speed up to be ready on time you have to increase your output. That does not necessarily mean that the results are bad. I never use time management tools, because they take so much time........ Short ways of communication and fast decisions are the secret to sucessfull time management. And do not forget to take a uncommon break sometimes. Take time off at unregular times of the day, that helps to reorganize the brain.
DI: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
UHD : That is difficult to say. Sometimes the result can be presented in just some hours, but in big projects you may work for several months and even a year on it.
DI: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
UHD : You must be very happy with your profession ? Allways outside in fresh air , working with plants...... The truth is I am propably outside for 30 days a year and I am dealing with plants may be 20 days a year.
DI: What was your most important job experience?
UHD : The view from above- means the importance of the layout plan is overestimated - deciding is what meets the eye if you are a visitor walking through a park or garden. The next 15-20 m in front of your eyes decide if something is good or bad design.
DI: Who are some of your clients?
UHD : The city of Berlin and its municipal districts administrations, The Travel Charme Hotel Group, Aspria holding - a wellness club group, city of Moscow, city of Baku in Azerbaijan, city of Astana in Kazaksthan, Tim Flynn architects London, Idea foundation, O&O Architects Berlin Cologne Vienna, gmp architects Berlin, government of Germany, O1 developers Moscow,
DI: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
UHD : Personally I like the crossover projects. Where it is not so clear if it is landscape architecture or sculpture or land art. that allways adds fresh ideas to the team and the result can not be foreseen.
DI: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
UHD : We will do a ca 1 ha garden for the German embassy in Tchad , Africa. This is a real challenging project. We hope that our project for the Old Orangery in the Gorki Park in Moscow will be realized soon . With our Moscow partner from nature form we realy are keen to start that prestigious project. Right now are starting a Hotel Project at the Baltic Coast in North Germany. It will be a nature resort with nature pool and an educative approach for kids. Last but not least we are waiting for the kick off to continue phase two for the UNITED WORLD COLLEGE in DILIJAN, ARMENIA. And in the center of Berlin we will redesign the Leipziger Strasse walkways on 550 m length and 20 m width. They will turn into a park like structure with perennials plantings. It is a project to save old Plantanus trees. Very complicated and a huge task to organizethe restoration of all infrastructure underground there.
DI: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
UHD : Definitely the team work is the most important input, but I still love to do design where it is possible for me
DI: How can people contact you?
UHD : Usually through email and phone: working abriad means to be accessable even late in the evening and early in the morning. +491729277565 info@glada-berlin.de