2_0_DiscoverGermany_August 2015_Issue29:Scan Magazine 1

27/7/15

16:48

Page 104

Challenges handled with care For Thomas Lorenz and his team at Graz-based civil engineering company Thomas Lorenz ZT GmbH, an architectural or technical challenge is not an obstacle, but an opportunity. TEXT: SONJA IRANI | PHOTOS: THOMAS LORENZ ZT GMBH

“Even though we offer a range of different services such as project controlling, general planning, structural engineering and site supervision, there are also a couple of specialist areas that we can call ourselves true experts in,” explains DI Roland Reichl, qualified engineer and head of structural engineering at Thomas Lorenz ZT GmbH. “These include building bridges, facade statics and detailed steel construction planning.” As such, the team of founder and CEO Thomas Lorenz can apply its indepth professional knowledge to architecturally challenging high-rise buildings and technically challenging infrastructure projects alike.“No matter if we cover just one of our previously mentioned specialist

104 | Issue 29 | August 2015

fields or several of them: our approach is always solution-oriented and characterised by creative, interdisciplinary thinking,”adds Reichl.

Portrait: Thomas Lorenz

One for all and all for one This interdisciplinary approach is becoming more and more important in today’s civil engineering landscape. “Planning is increasingly considered as one overall integrated, interdisciplinary process,”the company’s representative continues to explain. The keyword here is BIM –‘Building Information Modelling’. Interdisciplinary cooperation also means that planning procedures and changes can be implemented more easily. It helps that the Austrian firm is not only an expert in technical matters, but on a social scale, too.“We like to think that our main strengths are our broad professional knowledge, plus our young and motivated team,” reveals Reichl. “We appreciate and communicate in a most friendly way with all our colleagues, project partners and clients. Respect, fairness, quality work and meeting deadlines are the key values of our business. As such, our ideas and recommendations are always well re-