Great Architects

Didier Girardet, President, Thierry Deschaumes, Associate,

A.C.D. Girardet & Associés, Versailles, France

A.C.D. Girardet & Associés was established in Versailles in 1983.

Their work is strongly oriented towards sports facilities of all sizes, including recreational areas and school or community gyms, as well as large-scale projects such as stadiums. One of their most important projects to date was the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, in which they had to meet constraints specific to this particular project: the timeframe, for example, meant that all construction work had to be completed between two tournaments...

The interview was conducted by Abvent France, in partnership with the French Tennis Federation, owner of Roland Garros, the French Open.

Darren Tims, Principal, Director of Projects, Rice Daubney, Australia

Rice Daubney is a creative firm for architecture, planning and design with experience spanning 30 years across Australia and Asia. As one of Australia's leading architectural practices, Rice Daubney produces projects that have a common emphasis on quality, commercial focus, and innovation in design, across all the sectors of the business; Commercial + Workplace, Retail, Health + Research and Defence.

Craig Baudin, Associate Director of Fender Katsalidis Architects, Victoria, Australia

Craig Bauding has a Bachelor's Degree in Architecture and is a registered Architect. Prior to joining FKA he worked on a number of large residential, commercial and mixed use projects in Australia, Hong Kong and Malaysia. In September 2007 he was made an Associate Director of the practice. Craig brings a broad based range of experience across all phases of the project cycle, from early concept through to completion.

Abelardo M. Tolentino, Jr., President & CEO, Aidea Philippines, Inc.

At the start of his career, Aidea Philippines CEO & President, Abelardo Tolentino, Jr. envisioned a Filipino design firm that would lead and inspire the industry through its designs, relationships and global thinking. He changed the mindset of his people and inspired them to continuously innovate the way they design.

Under his leadership, Aidea has broken into the international market. They have completed numerous projects for clients throughout Europe, the Middle East and North America.

Prof. Hilde Léon, Léon Wohlhage Wernik Architects

Prof. Hilde Léon founded the office together with Konrad Wolhage in 1987. Berlin is the starting point and the inspiration for their work. All their projects, both German and international, are planned in the Berlin office. In addition to public building projects, offices, and residences, the firm also develops urban planning concepts.

Prof. Dietrich Fink, Prof. Thomas Jocher, Fink + Jocher Architects

The office of Dietrich Fink and Thomas Jocher was founded in 1991 in Munich. Since that time, they have established themselves with not only residential, office, and industrial planning projects, but also in the area of national and international urban planning. The firm's slogan, "To design is to explore," has resulted in a number of prestigious awards.

György Fazakas, Principal, Fazakas György Architects

With an office located in Budapest in a state-of-the-art building designed by his own firm, Fazakas György has made a name for himself as a well-respected international architect.

Based on his experiences working at an architectural firm in New York City from 1985 to 1989, Fazakas urges all young architects to get as much experience as they can working abroad before settling down back home. This is also important because, according to Fazakas, international teamwork has become a key component to any successful building project.

Philippe Madec, Principal, Atelier Philippe Madec

Since 1989, when Philippe Madec opened his first office in Paris, he has focused mainly on architecture's role in sustainable development. By doing so, he has earned the respect of his colleagues worldwide. Madec's architectural and urban approach forms part of a wider environmental framework, "rooted in the earth and its resources," as he likes to say.

Xavier Gonzalez, Principal, Atelier d'Architecture Brenac + Gonzalez

Brenac + Gonzalez, founded by Olivier Brenac and Xavier Gonzalez in 1978, has grown to be one of the most highly-respected architectural firms in France. Their shared vision for excellence in design has earned them a coveted spot among the top architectural firms.

Thomas A. Heinz, AIA, Chicago, USA

Thomas A. Heinz, AIA, of Libertyville, Illinois has worked on more than 40 Frank Lloyd Wright buildings, restorations, and reconstructions. As a renowned Wright devotee scholar and author of 30 books, Thomas A. Heinz brought the vision of Wright to life on the 11-acre Petre Island in Mahopac just 40 miles north of New York City.

Using ArchiCAD, Heinz was able to translate the original design into the very difficult rock terrain of the island, while preserving the original Frank Lloyd Wright design and addressing the realities of current building, energy and zoning requirements.

Vladimir I. Plotkin, TPO Reserve, Moscow, Russia

"The main thing is an attraction for shape."

Vladimir Plotkin is the chief designer of the TPO "Reserve" architectural design firm in Moscow, Russia. He designed numerous hotels, offices, residential complexes, skyscrapers and other land-mark buildings in Moscow and in St Petersburg. Plotkin is also a professor MArchI (Moscow Architectural Institute) and a member of board MOSA, laureate of the "Golden Section" Prizes in 1999 and 2001of the International Academy of Architecture.

Juli Capella, Capella Garcia Arquitectura, Barcelona, Spain

Juli Capella from Capella-Garcia Arquitectes is known as one of the most important figures in contemporary architecture and design in Spain. Some of their outstanding projects are the Heron City or the OMM Hotel in Barcelona. They believe their style as a non-style.

Ivo Venkov, paastudio, Pacific Palisades, CA, USA

Ivo Venkov and his wife Rossi Venkov are known as the "Coolest Architects" in the United States after winning a Merit Award for their Pacific Palisades Residence project in 2005. They call their architecture 'livable minimalism'.

David Sutherland, Fender Katsalidis Architects, Victoria, Australia

David Sutherland is the Director of Planning of one of the foremost design firms in Australia. Fender Katsalidis' international projects include Southeast Asia and the Middle East. They have designed the 90 story Eureka Tower, one of the highest residential towers in the world. Compared to earlier days, they enjoy work and the efficiency of it by using Information Technology that is translating their thoughts in to build reality.

Zhang Xiaolei, Architect, China Architecture Design & Research Group, Beijing, China

China Design is the largest architectural firm in China with nearly 2,000 employees. Among the Group's well-known masterpieces are Beijing Railway Station, China Art Gallery and many more completed projects in Beijing. Since 1986, the Group was awarded 289 design prizes, including 5 international prizes.

Thomas Rau, Principal, RAU Architecture, The Netherlands

Dutch Architect Thomas Rau started his firm in 1993 and became best known for his ING-bank offices and Europe's first CO2-free building, the World Wildlife Fund headquarters in Zeist, Netherlands. Rau describes his guiding principle as "open-minded architecture", providing the client with what he/she really wants, and not necessarily with what he/she asked for.

Chad Oppenheim, Principal, Oppenheim Architecture+Design, Miami, US

Heralded in the press as changing the face of "Miami modernism", Chad Oppenheim was awarded the AIA Outstanding Young Architect of the Year prize five years ago.

Prof. Gustav Peichl, Principal; Katharina Fröch, Partner; Christoph Lechner, Partner; Peichl & Partner Architects, Vienna, Austria

A virtuoso architect and equally famous sketch artist, he is famed for his large-scale projects in Europe and the Middle East. His Millennium Tower is a landmark building that can be seen across Vienna.

Jan Kleihues, Principal, Kleihues + Kleihues Architects, Berlin, Germany

His Berlin-based practice boasts a host of embassies and Berlin's tallest hotel building. With a long history of post-war reconstruction design, the firm has had a massive impact on the face of the city.

Michel Rojkind, Principal, Rojkind Architects, Mexico City, Mexico

Last year Architectural Record voted this exuberant Mexican architect as at the vanguard of building design. A powerful exponent of ArchiCAD, he is an enthusiastic example to anyone who still doubts the power of virtual design.

An archaic modernist - Axel Schultes, Principal, Schultes Frank Architekten, Berlin, Germany

His seminal works are in Berlin and include the Chancellery building and the much-acclaimed Crematorium, which brought him international recognition and inspired many other designers.

The Orcutt/Winslow Partnership - Paul Winslow, FAIA Principal; Herman Orcutt, AIA Principal; Russ Sanders, AIA, Orcutt/Winslow Associate and Virtual Building Committee Coordinator, Arizona, US

The practice was named the AIA Arizona 2004 Architectural Firm of the Year and 2005 Western Mountain Region Firm of the Year, having completed more than 1,800 projects worth billions in construction revenue. Absolutely devoted to ArchiCAD.

Tomohiko Yamanashi, Project Director, Nikken Sekkei Corporation, Tokyo, Japan

Nikken Sekkei Architects, Engineers and Planners is Japan's largest design firm, and has worked on 20,000 projects across some 40 countries. It just won the Architects Regional Council Asia (ARCASIA) architecture Gold Medal for the Laboratory for the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies in Japan.