in conversation with VOLA

Regina, what made you interested in studying architecture?

My parents worked in and around architecture. My father was an engineer, so for me it was ingrained. As a child, I always went to construction sites – I saw meetings happen and would play while he was talking to the site team. Now I have children myself, the passion has been passed on again which is so great to see developing! When you’re growing up around all this creativity, it gets imprinted on you and you learn to see differently from your peers.

What are your main goals in architectural design?

We constantly experience impressions in our everyday lives - when coming into contact with a surface, when entering a room, when washing our hands. I am interested in the way we form our impressions of an atmosphere in a new environment. They’re highly emotional reactions and use all our senses as a whole. They are pre-conscious emotions, which also colour the later rational perceptions through touch, smell and hearing. Our task as architects and interior designers is to write the instructions for the holistic sensual perception of somebody seeing and interacting with space. We are only able to achieve this feeling when I trigger a combination of sensory experiences. A positive initial impression can later describe a more rational comprehension and processing of the environment.

How do you create the perfect environment?

My aim is to combine quality materials and textures - using the raw and unrefined alongside perfect surfaces and details. You have to be open to all your senses, to feel the touch, the smell and the sound. It’s a learnable skill, but you also have to have a sense for it. Everyday moments and experiences of materials within a space need to elicit sensory reactions.

The amount of information that architects have to process keeps increasing. Do you think the younger generation has a different perception of architecture?

What has really changed is the thinking about sustainability and using materials that don’t pollute and which can be recycled. I think a lot about this and I’m trying to choose materials that keep CO2 emissions to a minimum. I started working with wood right at the beginning of my career, about 25 years ago. I was working as a carpenter when I was a student, so I learned early on to love the material. I really enjoy nature – I bike, swim, hike and also love to ski. I learnt that if you place a building in an environment, then you have to put something back by using sustainable materials, such as wood.

Can you talk about your choice of materials? 

Yes, absolutely. For me it’s important that a building gets old like we do. It gets wrinkles – it has to show us its life. We always try to reduce a project down to one or two primary materials, like wood and copper.

Have you often specified VOLA products?

Yes, right from my earliest projects. I’ve used VOLA products in kindergartens, schools, churches. Especially when working with children, everything they touch and experience is important. It’s about getting that feeling for quality on your skin that’s going to survive intense daily use.

What are the challenges of increasing the amount of wood used in architecture?

People tend to feel that stone is all about security, safety and prestige and it’s not easy to change that kind of thinking. Today, we can already feel a change in society, especially with the emphasis on nature and the environment. More and more clients ask about building in wood, and there is great growth in the wooden construction industry.

In addition to the environmental footprint, what are the other benefits of building with wood?

As soon as the prefab wooden elements arrive on site, the shape of building becomes visible – you can even start to smell it! That’s a big change, because now we have to be much more organised in the planning stages, but it also makes it very quick to build – just a few days in some cases to get to the point where the structure is complete.

What are you working on at the moment?

We’ve just finished a school renovation, making an original building from the 1970s much more energy efficient. I enjoy making spaces for everyone to use, really enhancing their quality of living, learning, and working. It is especially important because it might be the first time that the students encounter thoughtful architecture and we feel that everybody should have this opportunity.

How do you think you will develop the studio in the future?

I’ve decided to stay a small firm, with an emphasis on sustainability and ethical architecture. I do everything with love!