Chestnutt_Niess

The partnership of Rebecca Chestnutt and Robert Niess Architects BDA was founded in 1988 following the commission which resulted from the winning competition entry for the "Renovation and Expansion of the Landmark Buildings at Luisenbad for a library". This introduced a series of innovative designs for the restoration, refurbishment and expansion of historic buildings. Since then our office has become renowned for the ability to integrate new functional facilities in a manner that captures one’s imagination.

Our design philosophy is characterized by the search for and enhancement of spatial as well as temporal structures and by revealing their interrelationships. This demands looking twice and seeing things each time through new eyes. The spectrum of work has a wide range in both function and scale, including interior design, residential, commercial, institiutional and urban design projects.

Many of the commissions have been competition related. Competitions are understood as an impulse and forum of architectural thought in our office. At the same time we firmly believe that successful building can only be attained through close cooperation with the client. Constraints, whether from difficulties in site, historic preservation, or budget are viewed not as hindrances, but as a call for creative thought.

Our working philosophy demands that architecture not stop with the drawing, but utilize the full spectrum of planning and construction phases as instruments in the realization of quality buildings.