Olga Bolshanina: Engaging Client in the Design Process

Olga Bolshanina: Engaging Client in the Design Process
By Camila Pagnoncelli and Agnieszka Wiecha 

As part of the Architecture for Fashion 2024 course at YACademy, students had the pleasure of attending a lecture by Olga Bolshanina, an Associate Partner at Herzog & De Meuron since 2020. With more than 14 years of experience, she has conducted numerous international projects working on a wide range of typologies including cultural, educational, and research facilities, hospitality and residential developments. Presenting us with a unique opportunity to delve into the details of their design process, she has shown us a range of projects closely related to the fashion field.  

The first example presented, as Bolshanina herself described, was a classic from 2000: the Prada building in Tokyo. The project was developed when three-dimensional softwares and rendering programs had not been developed yet, so everything had to be meticulously planned and shaped with models used as a key feature in the design process. Since everything was personalized, it required special consideration and testing. The models, created in at least a 1:20 scale, needed to be large enough to grasp the ambient of the space and try out the suggested solutions. Especially for Prada, which has always emphasized quality and attention to detail, the real-scale mockups were designed so that they could see the spatial effect created. 

This attentive method establishes a way of communication with the client: "Renderings today are so real from day one, that it shuts down your imagination. Of course, we are using renders now — we make a lot of them, almost too many. But for certain clients, creative clients like Prada, you have to keep things open, let them imagine many more things that can come to the project, and try not to make it seem too real. The models are a good tool for that” - Bolshanina states. 

Every project created in the studio is developed by generating numerous ideas which then require choosing and developing one of them. By repeating this scheme a certain amount of times, we obtain a sort of mental map where ideas branch into different directions like a tree. For each building, a tree of choices is presented to the client to demonstrate how the project reached its final form. This approach allows the client to follow the thought process and be aware of other possibilities. 

Apart from that, the client actively participates in the development of the concept. The initial phase is the conceptual project, which lasts for three months. During this period, regular monthly meetings are held with the client. This ensures the client is an active participant in the process, contributing to the development of the concept. Occasionally, projects may conclude at the end of this conceptual phase if the client decides not to proceed further. 

Once the concept is fully approved by the client, the project moves on to the second phase, which involves the preparation of executive and construction details. At this point, a new agreement is established to outline the scope and terms of the phase of the project. The way the office works involves extensive testing and studies on materials. 

When asked about the types of projects that she prefers to work on, Bolshanina gave an inspiring response: "I just like to always learn. I think that our profession is so fascinating. You never did housing, and suddenly you have to do a big housing project, and you just learn everything about housing. You need to do a museum, and yeah, our office has 30 museums, but maybe I never did one. Then, you just dive in and learn everything about museums. The same goes for education or a hospital. You do a hospital competition and just discover so much. You can always learn, never get bored. You always kind of orient your career, expand your horizons. You do five housing projects and you think, 'Okay, now I really know how to do it,' and get really confident on the topic. Then suddenly, you do a lab research facility. That's interesting. I want to do a lot of different things and always learn. You can always work in different countries, contexts, clients, cultures, different places. All these things feed each other.” 

This comment reflects the multidisciplinary nature of the studio, which is highly engaging for the workers. The team structure is quite flexible. Based on the specific requirements of each project, the studio sets up a new team. While they try to retain some team members who have experience in a specific area, they also embrace the opportunity for the new members to give some fresh perspective. 

Learning about the process of such a renowned studio was truly fascinating and inspirational. It’s a glimpse into where architecture is crafted with time and attention, even though we know that designing fashion interiors can be harsh and the trends fast-changing.