The Archas Design studio has been in business for 20 years. Its owner is Maciej Zuber, president of the SARP Bielsko-Biala Branch, vice-chairman of the Regional Review Committee of the Silesian Chamber of Architects and plenipotentiary of the SARP General Board for BIM. In 2022, he received the First Degree Honorary Badge of the Polish Chamber of Architects, and in March of this year he was awarded the Gold Badge of the Association of Polish Architects.
Józef Stachów: Archas Design has just celebrated its 20th anniversary. Today it designs buildings in almost all areas of construction, mainly large-scale structures. What was the reason for such a direction of the studio's development?
Maciej Zuber: It was already set by the first, larger project I completed after founding the studio. It was an A+ class office building for Polski Koks in Katowice. Its design was an important step that allowed me to gain courage and develop the company.
Currently Archas Design is co-founded by a team of twenty experts - architects, urban planners and sanitary engineers. This is a trusted team, which is the backbone of the studio's business, which is able to solve most design problems and take on even the most complex tasks.
The company's portfolio covers a very wide market segment. These include industrial buildings, commercial complexes, offices, hotels, aparthotels, resorts, residential estates and logistics centers, warehouses and industrial halls. The latter were in greatest demand during the pandemic. We are also involved in the renovation and restoration of historic buildings. Among other things, we have been able to restore several beautiful, centuries-old townhouses in Bielsko-Biała to their state of splendor.
Józef Stachów: You are present at major investments throughout the country. Can you name some of them?
Maciej Zuber: The construction of the Laguna Beskid apartment complex we designed on Lake Żywiec is just coming to an end. The development, which is being built on an area of 4 hectares, will consist of six buildings with 427 luxury apartments and commercial premises. It will also include an indoor swimming pool, and a marina and beach on a nearby island adjacent to the complex.
Construction has also begun on a large OTO Park shopping center in Siemianowice Slaskie. The 18,000-square-meter facility is being built in the heart of the city, on a revitalized site left by the demolished Jedność Steelworks. This is a historic and yet for years deserted part of Siemianowice. The investment has initiated the process of its restoration to the urban fabric.
Notable projects certainly include an office building and a testing hall for certification of aluminum products, which we designed for the nationally known Aluprof company.
We also participated in a major undertaking, which was the construction of the Viessmann plant in Legnica. A 50,000-square-meter heat pump manufacturing plant was built there. We also worked with a contractor to develop a BIM(Building Information Modeling) model for the building of the Polish History Museum in Warsaw. A similar scope of work included the construction of the modern MOLecoLAB science and research laboratory complex in Lodz.
These are only a part of our realizations, as over the past two decades we have completed architectural projects with a total area of more than one million square meters.
Jozef Stachow: How do you earn the trust of such important clients?
Maciej Zuber: Trust is built over many years. Partner relations are key, but also experience and knowledge, and thus the ability to anticipate risks and effectively solve problems at every stage of the investment.
What distinguishes our studio in the market is our comprehensive service to investors. Once we are granted a power of attorney, the entire design process and administrative and legal services rest with us. What's more, we also take responsibility for the quality of the services of the companies we work with. This allows us to be a reliable partner.
From the beginning, we have been working in a BIM environment, which is an important added value for our clients. Building information modeling allows us to detect potential inter-industry collisions in real time, control material consumption and optimize the design process. This translates directly into real savings for the investor.
Besides, clients expect not only high quality architecture. Equally important are the reliability of the process, timeliness, commitment and ability to cooperate. That's why we care about designing buildings that are aesthetically pleasing, fit in with the surroundings, but also durable, functional and cost-optimized. What matters to us is how the building will age, how long it will be usable, whether it will use renewable energy sources efficiently and what its operating costs will be in the long term.
We also pay attention to flexibility of function. A facility designed "to measure" is more difficult to adapt later to new needs. That's why already at the concept stage we think about how buildings can change function and users in the future.
I think all this is appreciated by our clients and is the foundation of the trust built.
Jozef Stachow: How does the studio acquire new contracts? Who takes care of that?
Maciej Zuber: Most of the orders came to the studio through direct contacts, and I have been dealing with investors personally since the beginning. As I am the face of the company, it is easier for me to convey to the client the solution we propose, our standards and the scope of our services.
I always meet personally with investors. During the conversation I try to learn about their needs, plans or preferences. This is how a concept is born, to which I later try to convince the principal of the project. Of course, a lot depends on what kind of building it is and the expected scope of work. In each of them the role of the studio is slightly different.
Sometimes negotiations and agreements can be difficult. However, thanks to the fact that I have a trusted design team, I can devote all my energy just to them and not deal with a lot of current issues in the studio. And, to be honest, I can't imagine any other role for myself.
Jozef Stachow: Thank you for the interview.
