GRAFT is conceived as a studio for architecture, urban planning, design, music and the pursuit of happiness. Since its establishment 1998 in Los Angeles, it has been commissioned to design and manage a wide range of projects across multiple disciplines and in numerous locations. Further offices followed in Berlin in 2001 and Beijing in 2004.
We believe in the power of architecture as a tool, best employed not for its own sake, but to represent ambiguous and diverse identities.
Although the company’s core enterprises gravitate around the field of architecture and the built environment, GRAFT has always maintained an interest in crossing the boundaries between disciplines and “grafting” the creative potential and methodologies of different realities. This is reflected in its expansion into the fields of exhibition and product design, art installations and academic projects, as well as in their variety of project locations around the world.
In 2014, we set up GRAFT Brandlab, an agency enabling an additional focus on communication design, brand strategy and consultancy while staying true to the original multidisciplinary approach and working methods.
Complementary Services from one source
Grafting Identities
Architecture is a cultural technique. It is never self-contained, nor finite; it is part of a complex cultural cycle in service of society as a whole. As a result, architecture is always a representation of society rather than an autonomous discipline. The importance of identity within designed space, from individual to community, from city to region, cannot be underestimated. At a time when there is a blurring of boundaries between the real and the virtual, urban and rural, and local and global, our built environment plays a fundamental role in defining identity.
GRAFT is responding to the challenges of the future with an optimistic attitude towards multiple and simultaneous identities, which enables a higher degree of complexity. There is no such thing as one single truth, and we believe that hybridization enhances the qualities of its constituent characteristics.
Our design process is evidence-based and human-centered. Our approach stems from scenography and movement rather than tectonics. In this way, we are able to create dynamic, flexible architecture that allows multiple readings.
Founding Partners
LARS KRÜCKEBERG
M.Arch., Dipl.-Ing. Architekt, BDA
Founding Partner of GRAFT
Lars Krückeberg studied architecture at the Technical University Braunschweig, Germany, where he graduated with a Dipl.-Ing. Arch. He received his Master of Architecture at the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), Los Angeles, USA. In 1998 Lars Krückeberg established GRAFT in Los Angeles together with Wolfram Putz, and Thomas Willemeit. GRAFT has won numerous national and international awards and garnered international fame with a widespread following throughout its existence. GRAFT today employs 100 architects and designers worldwide.
WOLFRAM PUTZ
M.Arch., Dipl.-Ing. Architekt, BDA
Founding Partner of GRAFT
Wolfram Putz studied architecture at the Technical University Braunschweig, Germany, where he graduated with a Dipl.-Ing. Arch. He received his Master of Architecture at the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), Los Angeles, USA. In 1998 Wolfram Putz established GRAFT in Los Angeles together with Thomas Willemeit, and Lars Krückeberg. GRAFT has won numerous national and international awards and garnered international fame with a wide-spread following throughout its existence. GRAFT today employs 100 architects and designers worldwide.
THOMAS WILLEMEIT
Dipl.-Ing. Architekt, BDA
Founding Partner of GRAFT
Thomas Willemeit studied architecture at the Technical University Braunschweig where he graduated with a Dipl.-Ing. Arch. Besides his successful career in the architectural field, he won numerous national prizes as a violin player and a chorister. In 1998 Thomas Willemeit established GRAFT in Los Angeles together with Wolfram Putz, and Lars Krückeberg. GRAFT has won numerous national and international awards and garnered international fame with a widespread following throughout its existence. GRAFT today employs 100 architects and designers worldwide.
Partners
SVEN FUCHS
Dipl.-Ing. Architekt
GRAFT Partner
Sven Fuchs studied architecture at the Technical University of Braunschweig and graduated in 2004 with a Dipl.-Ing. At that time, he was already working as an artist and achieved early recognition with a first prize in the international architecture competition for the Spielbudenplatz in Hamburg, in collaboration with Planungsring Mumm + Partner. Sven Fuchs has been with GRAFT since 2006. He became a partner at GRAFT in 2018 and, in addition to business development, is also responsible for human resources in our company.
DENNIS HAWNER
Dipl.-Ing. Architekt
GRAFT Partner
Dennis Hawner studied architecture at Saarland University of Applied Sciences. In 2004 he graduated as Dipl.-Ing. (FH). In 2005 he was awarded the Taut Prize of the Federal Chamber of Architects for his diploma project, the most important award for young architects. After his studies, he worked in renowned architectural offices in London and Berlin, where he was involved in the completion of numerous award-winning projects. He has been with GRAFT since 2012, initially as a project manager and since 2015 as director. In 2018 Dennis Hawner became a partner at GRAFT and, in addition to business development, he is also responsible for contracts.
GEORG SCHMIDTHALS
Dipl.-Ing. Architekt
GRAFT Partner
Georg Schmidthals studied architecture at the Technical University of Graz and the Technical University of Cottbus, where he graduated in 2005 with a Dipl.-Ing. Arch. He worked as a design tutor for master and bachelor students at the Institute for Architecture and Culture at the Artesis Hogeschool in Antwerp. As an architect, Georg Schmidthals held leading positions at Jürgen Mayer H. in Berlin and Stuttgart, and LENS°ASS in Brussels. In 2013 he founded his own architectural office AND’ROL in Namur, Belgium. Georg Schmidthals has been with GRAFT in Berlin since 2015 and became a partner in 2018. He is responsible for numerous ongoing projects, new project commissions and competition participation.
Team
Our work features designs for projects in the fields of residential and commercial architecture, health care, mobility, digitization, work, branding, master planning and urban culture, all of which graft different realities into new hybrids.
With projects in more than 30 countries, our work as well as our employees are truly international. Our team of about 100 architects, interior designers, communication experts and administrative staff works from offices in Berlin, Los Angeles and Shanghai.
Management
SVEN FUCHS
Partner · Management HR
Architekt, Dipl.-Ing.
DENNIS HAWNER
Partner · Management Contracts
Architekt, Dipl.-Ing.
TOBIAS HEIN
COO
Dipl.-Ing. Arch.
LARS KRÜCKEBERG
Founding Partner · CEO
Architekt, BDA, M.Arch., Dipl.-Ing.
WOLFRAM PUTZ
Founding Partner · CEO
Architekt, BDA, M.Arch., Dipl.-Ing.
GEORG SCHMIDTHALS
Partner · Management Projects
Architekt, Dipl.-Ing.
THOMAS WILLEMEIT
Founding Partner · CEO
Architekt, BDA, Dipl.-Ing.
Communication
NADINE CORDIAL SETTELE
Public Relations
M.A.
SARAH JOHN
Public Relations
Dipl.-Museol.
NORA ZERELLI
Director of Public Relations
M.A.
Administration
MAHASA MÖLLER
Accounting
ANNABELL PFEIFER
Accounting
ROMAN PUZICHA
Workplace Manager
ANGI REHE
Accounting Management
Architektin
CLAIRE SATTLER
Office Manager
ULRIKE SEIFERT
Controlling
Dipl.-Kauffrau
KATRIN STAHN
Human Resources
DAVID WURTH
Accounting
Directors
ARNE WEGNER
Director of Projects
Architekt, Dipl.-Ing.
ANNA WITTWER
Director of Projects
Architektin, Dipl.-Ing.
ANNETTE FINKE
Department Director
Architektin, Dipl.-Ing.
CASEY MCSWEENEY
Department Director
M.Arch.
NORA ZERELLI
Director of Public Relations
M.A.
Project Leads
ANDREAS BLÖDOW
Project Lead Interior
Architekt, Dipl.-Ing.
PETER BUCHE
Senior Project Lead
Architekt, Dipl.-Ing.
ALECA BUNESCU
Project Lead
Architektin, Dipl.-Ing.
MATTHIAS ECKARDT-SCHLENDER
Project Lead
Dipl.-Ing. Arch.
DANIEL FINCK
Project Lead
Architekt, M.Sc.Arc.
ANJA FRENKEL
Project Lead
Dipl.-Ing. Arch.
HEIKE HEISTER
Senior Project Lead
Dipl.-Ing. Arch.
JANNIS JASCHKE
Project Lead
M.Sc.Arch., Dipl.-Art.
ACHIM KRAYL
Senior Project Lead
Architekt, Dipl.-Ing.
SASCHA KRÜCKEBERG
Project Lead
Dipl.-Ing. Arch.
CAROLINE LOSSACK
Project Lead
Dipl.-Ing. Arch.
ANTONIO LUQUE
Project Lead
Architekt, Dipl.-Ing.
SEBASTIAN MASSMANN
Senior Project Lead
Architekt, Dipl.-Ing.
NILS VON MINCKWITZ
Project Lead
Architekt, Dipl.-Ing.
ALEXANDER MORITZ
Project Lead
Dipl.-Ing. Arch.
JAVIER NIETO CANO
Project Lead
M.Arch.
PAULA ROSCH
Project Lead
Architektin, Dipl.-Ing.
MATTHIAS RÜMMELE
Project Lead
Dipl.-Ing. Arch.
PHILIP STILLKE
Deputy Project Lead
M.Sc. Arch.
MAIKE WIENMEIER
Project Lead
Architektin, Dipl.-Ing.
ARCHITECTS
BESHER ALYOUSSEF
Architect
M.A.
ALEXANDRA BAACK
Architect
B.Arch.
SVEN BAUER
Architect
M.Sc.
NILS BESLER
Architect
M.Sc.
GEETIKA BHUTANI
Architect
M.Sc.
BENEDIKT BOSCHERT
Junior Architect
M.Arch.
MATHILDE CATROS
Architect
Dipl.- Ing. Arch.
IVANA DAMJANOVIC
Senior Architect
M.Sc.
DANIEL DOMINGUEZ MORALES
Senior Architect
Arquitecto
MARCO FALZONI
Architect
M.Arch.
AGATA FILIPOWICZ
Architect
B.Sc.
ANA GALVEZ
Senior Architect
M.Arch.
SEBASTIAN GERNHARDT
Senior Architect
M.Sc, Dipl.-Ing. Arch.
SHARAREH GHANAVIZCHIAN
Senior Architect
M.Arch.
ZSOLT GONDOS
Senior Architect
M.Arch.
BAS KAHLERT
Architect
B.Arch.
HARPREET KAUR
Architect
B.Arch.
GEVORG KHACHATRYAN
Architectural Intern
B.Arch.
ALEKSANDRA KISZKIELIS
Senior Architect
M.A., Dipl.-Ing. Arch.
ANNE KLEINLEIN
Senior Architect
Architektin, Dipl.-Ing.
ONUR KEMAL KÖSEDAĞ
Senior Architect
M.Arch.
IZABELA KORDYKA
Architect
M.Arch., Dipl.-Ing. Arch.
JULIA KRAFFERT
Senior Architect
M.Arch.
NIKOLAS KRAUSE
Senior Architect
Dipl.-Ing. Arch.
NIKLAS LABUHN
Junior Architect
M.Sc.
FILIPA LEAL DE CARVALHO
Senior Architect
M.Arch.
TATIANA LEBEDEVA
Senior Architect
M.Arch.
FABIAN LEIWE
Junior Architect
M.Sc.Arch.
CAROLINE LEFÈVRE
Senior Architect
M.Arch.
THERESA LOHSE
Junior Architect
M.Sc.Arch.
KARSTEN LITTAU
Architect
M.Arch.
ANA LOPEZ DE REGO CURROS
Architect
M.A.
DORIAN MANDZUKIC
Senior Architect
M.Arch.
PHILIPPOS MICHAEL
Architect
M.Sc. Arch.
LEONARDO NAHUEL MUSSO
Senior Architect
M.Sc. Arch.
TUGCE NUR KOYUNCU
Architectural Intern
B.Arch.
EMMA RYTOFT
Senior Architect
M.Arch.
LEON SEIBERT
Junior Architect
M. Sc.
LUIS TOMAS
Senior Architect
Dipl.-Ing. Arch.
VERONIKA PARTELOVA
Senior Architect
M.Arch.
MARTA PIASECZYNSKA-KARAIVANOV
Senior Architect
Mag.Arch.
MARIE POTH
Senior Architect
Dipl.-Ing. Arch.
INGA VON TÜRCKHEIM
Senior Architect
Architektin, Dipl.-Ing.
MARTA WEGNER
Senior Architect
Dipl.-Ing. Arch.
DAVID WEHRMEISTER
Senior Architect
Dipl.-Ing. Arch.
GÖZDE YILDIZ
Senior Architect
M.Sc. Arch
Open Positions
Recognition
Lars Krückeberg, Wolfram Putz and Thomas Willemeit have held several guest professorships in the USA, Italy, the Netherlands and Germany and are members of the expert team of the Zukunftsinstitut think tank.
They hold lectures worldwide bringing insights into future-relevant topics and their architectural approach.
GRAFT has won numerous international awards. Our projects have been displayed in exhibitions around the globe.
Publications
IDENTITY. New Commercial, Cultural and Mobility Architecture, 2020, Birkhäuser De Gruyter, Berlin
Unbuilding Walls. From Deathstrip to Free Space - Exhibition catalog, 2018, Birkhäuser De Gruyter, Berlin
FUTOPOLIS – Urbanisierungsstudie, 2018, Zukunftsinstitut GmbH, Frankfurt
GRAFT Home. Story., 2017, Birkhäuser De Gruyter, Berlin
Architecture Activism, 2016, Birkhäuser De Gruyter, Berlin
Immobilien Report 2016 – Communicating Architecture, 2015, Zukunftsinstitut GmbH, Frankfurt
Immobilien Report 2015 – Living Spaces, 2014, Zukunftsinstitut GmbH, Frankfurt
Distinct Ambiguity, 2011, Gestalten, Berlin
Architecture in Times of Need, 2009, Prestel, München
Graftworld, 2007, Aedes, Berlin
Year
Lectures
Festival dell’Architettura, SPAM03, Grafting Identities, Rome, Italy
Zukunftswerkschau XR. Faktor, New Times, Munich, Germany
The New European Bauhaus - Werkstatt der Zukunft, Power of Creativity, Panel Discussion, Frankfurt, Germany, online
Moscow Urban Forum, "Mixed Use”, Panel Discussion, online
Moscow Urban Forum, “Urban Immunity. New Approaches to Epidemiological Design”, Panel Discussion, online
Women in Architecture Festival 2021, Templiner Park, Berlin, Germany
BDA Tag, Haus der Erde, Berlin, Germany
Greentech Festival 2021, BetaPort, Future Mobility Hubs: Global-Local, Workshop, Berlin, Germany
HAIFA Art Museum, Unbuilding Walls lecture, Haifa, Israel, online
Festtagsrede zum “Peter Joseph Krahe Preis”, Architecture Award of the City of Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
Conference Serie „The Digital ToolBox of th Architect“, Crossmedial Sketching, Heidelberg, Germany
University of Kaiserslautern, Grafting Identities, lecture, Kaiserslautern, Germany
Studio X - Die große Lösung für bezahlbaren Wohnungsbau, Panel Discussion, Cologne, Germany
Architect’s Know How Session, Dream. Design. Deliver - Establishing an architectural practice, online
IMOB Managementforum Starnberg, Design als Ausdruck nachhaltiger Mobilität, online
Architecture and Design Network, Frankfurt, Germany
EUROPE 2021, Digital Conference, Panel “climate protection starts in the cities”, online
BAU 2021 Home Story, Conference “The Future of Construction”, Munich, Germany, online
Awards
DAM Prize 2022, BRICKS Berlin Schöneberg, Longlist
MIPIM Award 2021 - Best Residential Project,
Charlie Living, Finalist
Rethinking the Future Award 2021, BRICKS Berlin Schöneberg, First Award
Wohnbauten des Jahres 2021, Nominiees: Charlie Living, BRICKS Berlin Schöneberg
Archdaily Building of the Year 2021, Nominiee: Charlie Living
Immobilien Manager Award 2021, Finalist Project Development New Construction: Charlie Living
Exhibitions
25 Years of Stilwerk, Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg, Germany, Phantom Table
City X Venice, Architecture Biennale 2021, Venedig, Italy
“SYMBOLS & Iconic Ruins”, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Athen, Greece
Besides GRAFT’s architectural work the company also acts as a catalyst for socially impactful initiatives. GRAFT collaborates with leading entrepreneurs in different fields to establish long lasting solutions for the future – as a continuous effort for tackling problems of the 21st century.
In 2007, together with Brad Pitt, Bill McDonough and the Cherokee Foundation, GRAFT established the Make It Right Foundation, whose objective was the rebuilding of New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward after Hurricane Katrina.
GRAFT’s self-initiated projects also include SOLARKIOSK, a company founded with the German lawyer Andreas Spieß in 2009 to bring clean energy, connectivity and solar products to rural areas in sub-Saharan Africa. And, in 2015, GRAFT co-founded Heimat2, which aims to bring dignified housing solutions to refugees in Europe.
