Jeroen Maesen (Mamu Architects): “The interior of a corporate canteen often speaks volumes.”
“We can only create a custom interior design when the client has done his research.” Cocreation is key for Jeroen Maesen, co-founder of the Hasselt-based architecture firm Mamu Architects. Our Interior Enthousiasts have already become pleasantly familiar with Mamu and their vision of interior design. In this blog, we introduce them to you.
"Interiors and techniques increasingly interwoven"
As an all-embracing architectural firm with its own interior team, the interplay between interior and exterior architecture is a natural fit at Mamu architects. “Yet some architects still dare to underestimate interior architecture, even though this is a very complex field. Even more than an architectural project in the broad sense, the interior is an extension of the client’s identity. Whether it’s a home, an insurance office or a logistics company.”
“Not to mention the technical aspect. More and more technical features are being integrated into our buildings. To conceal them all in an aesthetic way, you need specific expertise. And, of course, the additional expertise of a competent interior designer with a sense of tight coordination.”
"With which feeling does the person walk out of the project?"
What do Jeroen and his team themselves attach great importance to within an interior? “An interior project should always emanate pragmatism and organization. A natural flow that creates a strong experience. Without that, you just create conflict situations, which lead to negative experiences.”
“We always ask ourselves the question: with which feeling should a person walk out again? To come to that answer, we expect a very close interaction with the client. They also have to do their research beforehand. We always want to co-create. After that, it’s up to us to translate all that input into the project.”
“In doing so, we use all our accumulated experience, regardless of the sector. Why would a certain interior concept we applied in a hotel, for example, not work within a corporate environment? The same goes for a department store and a pharmacy. This crossover approach often leads to surprisingly refreshing ideas and realizations.”
Pharmacy furniture is specific in such a way that you can't do without an interior designer who has the knowledge and expertise to customize everything beautifully and integrate it seamlessly into the whole." 360° sustainability
“Internally, we have made the agreement that every single one of our future projects must adopt a 360° sustainability approach. Sustainability that goes much wider than just the techniques: what impact does the interior have on the life of the users, does it contribute positively to staff turnover, is the interior easily adaptable, do the products stand out sufficiently…?”
“A new interior is of course also a financial matter. A strong concept should pay for itself, but there’s much more than that. If our work contributes to increases in sales, increases in customers, new hires and satisfied employees, then we know we’re contributing to long-term growth.”
“Let’s take as an example a corporate canteen. As far as we are concerned, such a space should totally reflect how strongly that company counts on its employees. We find that clients are increasingly willing to think about this. It is part of modern entrepreneurship. This no longer applies only to industries such as IT, where the war on talent is fierce. The impact of a sustainable work environment on the individual is rightfully getting much more attention today.”
"Being able to trust the interior designer"
“One environment where all these major challenges are arising today is pharmacy building interiors. Many modern pharmacies today are evolving toward a small department store or a boutique. We pay much more attention to the ideal zoning, to the versatility of the furniture used, to the integration of modern technologies such as robotic systems and product displays…”
“Moreover, pharmacy furniture is so incredibly specific that you cannot do without an interior designer who has the knowledge and expertise to customize everything beautifully and integrate it seamlessly into the whole. We are therefore very pleased that we were able to rely on Vandebroek for the realization of pharmacy Karolien in Tongeren.”
“As interior designers, we can for example offer oak veneer to our client, but no two pieces are identical. Will there be annual rings, knots or just a line pattern after sawing? And how do we ultimately translate our design into the necessary technical drawings? An experienced group of professionals like Vandebroek greatly complemented us here. With a result that made both the customer and ourselves smile.”
What’s your next interior project?
Together with Jeroen Maesen and his Mamu team, we had the opportunity to write a unique story. Are you an (interior) architect looking for an interior builder who knows how to perfectly translate your designs, no matter how complex they are? Contact us and get to know our Interior Enthousiasts better. We gladly invite you to already have a look into our inspiring portfolio
