Discover Germany | Special Theme | World Top Architects Architecture Germany Festival
Image: Lepel & Lepel
Photo: Thomas Riese
Image: Lepel & Lepel
Image: Lepel & Lepel
Combining architecture with interior design for flexible work and living environments What makes LEPEL & LEPEL so special is the fusion of architecture and interior design. The two founders are Monika and Reinhard Lepel – she an interior designer, he an architect. Therefore, the company’s motto ‘building relationships’ not only applies to their projects but also to the company itself.
houses create the perfect environment for offices that leave space for creativity,” says Reinhard Lepel. Combining these competences results in joint efforts subsumed under the title ‘work@loft’.
TEXT: JESSICA HOLZHAUSEN
“Of course we both, Monika and I, work on our individual projects, but in the best case we generate synergies,” says Reinhard Lepel. “Especially for one of our main focuses ‘work@loft’,” adds Monika Lepel. The concept brings architecture and interior design together to make ‘agile working’ work. In general, our way of working has changed rapidly in recent years, since computers have made processes more efficient and people more mobile. This is why architecture and interior design are so important; not only do they create workspaces, they anchor people, create strong connections and emotions. Modern offices need shared lounges or meeting rooms, where people 114 | Issue 43 | October 2016
can work together on joint projects, discuss ideas and be creative. To fulfil modern requirements, these spaces have to be flexible so that they can be adjusted according to current needs. They have to be as agile as the people who work in them. In the end this is what architects and interior designers always have to keep in mind. The interior architects at Lepel & Lepel have rather successfully introduced agile working ideas for renowned clients, such as REWE Digital, Google or Ernst & Young, for example. “Our architects, on the other hand, have great experience in working on building redevelopments. Especially old, extensive industrial ware-
Two examples for ‘work@loft’ are currently under construction in Cologne. The first is ‘Lofthaus’ in ‘Belgisches Viertel’, one of Cologne’s most lively city quarters. The other, ‘Clouth 104’, can be found at the entrance to a 15-hectare area of the same name, which – once home to a rubber factory – is currently redeveloped into a new urban district. The building itself will offer studios, offices and flats. An industrial look and bare brickwork are main design characteristics honouring the building’s industrial origin, while creating a modern environment for working and living, offering the appropriate space agile minds need. www.lepel-lepel.de