Yearbook
The goal of the architect is not to give what the client wants but to show the client what he never dreamed he could have,” decrees Hans Brouwer, founder of HB Design as he extols on the virtues of the profession. This mantra has been his driving force for nearly 25 years in the design industry as an architect and progressively leading his team.
Brouwer is still as passionate about what he does. “I’m constantly seeking renewal, innovation, exploration of space, materiality and longevity of structures:’ says Brouwer, who sets exacting standards when it comes to a project. “Architecture is a profession that doesn’t end with the shell of the building but includes the interiqrs too:’ Brouwer says that growing up in boarding schools in Switzerland followed by periods in Italy as a student surrounded by architecture of monumental proportions has had a major impact on his mind-set. “In Europe, people take their time to design and build a building but the structure remains relevant and enjoyed for decades;’ says Brouwer, who worked with Britain’s most lauded architect, Sir Norman Foster for eight years before starting HB design in 1995. Some of his notable works under the wings of Foster and Partners includes the Century Towers in Tokyo and the Commerzbank in Frankfurt both of which introduces innovative high-rise technology on many levels. Consequently, his restrained yet warm brand of modernity projects age-old ideals: authority, functionality, and a Modernist appreciation of how natural light enriches such honest, straightforward materials as polished wood, brick, glass and steel.
Having made Singapore his home, he finds the Asian mindset fickle but also”fertile and keen to evolve” which leaves a lot of room for improvement in areas of implementing sustainable design. “In Asia, buildings are like disposable items, when each get an overhaul every 10 years;’laments the father of two young children. These days, a majority of Brouwer’s work are largely centered in Asia. Whether the commission is a luxury…