"Conscious planning and forethought are the key to successful project implementation" - interview with Géza Germán, managing director of Óbuda Group architecture studio

Celebrating its 35th birthday last year, Óbuda Group has played a leading role in the preparation of many outstanding construction projects. "Clients often identify Óbuda Group as a project management company, as we have built up a very strong track record in the past decades as project managers or technical auditors, for example, the entire portfolio management of the Liget Budapest project," Géza Germán pointed out. "At the same time, our design office plays an equally important role in the market, and has also played a key role in major projects with serious architectural challenges."

Thanks to synergies, they have answers to the most complex questions

Géza Germán stressed that the group, founded in 1988, has come a long way and has developed organically, and now has more than 80 architects and nearly 160 project managers. "As the list of our main partners shows, we are working with many foreign investors."

He added that they enter into a project at the initial stage, i.e. when the land is selected. "We provide engineering services such as feasibility studies, return on investment calculations, or even the legal and technical parameters of the land.

As our slogan says, 'think ahead', conscious planning and forethought is the key to a successful project. It's good to come to us for a project because we don't scratch our heads afterwards when we see a problem, but we identify potential inconsistencies and assign solutions to them during the planning phase."

He added that this higher level of preparation does not require extra energy or time compared to others, but the interaction between the knowledge available in the group and the cooperation of designers and engineers. "In order for a project to get off to a successful start, it is necessary to define a certain design sub-task at the very beginning of the project so that we know what we are asking of the designer. This includes, for example, what operational concept, construction cost, energy rating or BIM requirements the project will have. In our experience, these initial steps are essential for any project, but especially for large-scale industrial and foreign projects."

Essentially, the members of the group work from a knowledge base

Within the group, full design and technical management from the initial design through to handover will be provided, creating significant synergies within Óbuda Group. "In-house, we can always ask questions and learn from each other, so the experience of project management is integrated into the knowledge of the architects, and of course the same applies vice versa. When asked why they should choose us, I usually say that we are not just a design office, but we have the special expertise and experience to provide a professional answer to even the most specific questions."

Géza gave an example to support the above.

"If you need an opinion on the specific spatial structure of a large span steel hall or want to share a construction organisation experience, we have the knowledge. Whether you are our technical inspector supervising the construction process or our design colleague with experience in this field."

In summary, he said, they are also present in specific areas of expertise that are not necessarily part of the portfolio of a traditional architectural design firm.

"We are called upon in many cases where a simple routine design solution is no longer sufficient, the task requires increased and prepared expertise."

As another example of special tasks and high quality, he cited the design of the Emerald Residence, built on Servita Square in Budapest, next to the baroque St. Anne's Church in the city centre. "The building had to be placed among historic buildings whose design had given many previous architects a lesson. Our firm designed the final concept with a seemingly very simple structural solution.

Based on the professional feedback, a very high quality building has been created that would be a world-beater, and it is no coincidence that it won an award at Portfolio Property Awards. Of course, the result of this joint work is also due to the investor's recognition of the added value that the environment and the classification of the project required to be integrated into the project."

They strive for an understanding approach instead of an end in itself

He explained that there are many projects where the investor has a clear and concrete vision, but at the same time, a quality, well-designed, durable building and keeping investment costs low create an eternal dichotomy. "It is rare to find a designer who can optimally reconcile these dualities. Our architecture studio understands this and does not do architecture for its own sake. Our returning clients know that when there's a tight budget or a difficult circumstance and you need to make the best of it, it makes sense to work with a designer who understands this principle and carries it through the entire design process."

Specific details of electric mobility manufacturing are being observed in the Far East

The Óbuda Group has a very strong track record in the industrial segment. "We could list a long list from the past decades, and today's market conditions are also strengthening this area, as industrial projects are currently driving construction production. Orders in the other segments have fallen dramatically or even frozen, as the KSH data show."

They also have significant references in the automotive industry within industrial buildings. „We have gained considerable experience in the design of halls for the production of electric car manufacturing equipment over the past five years. We have accompanied the projects of international players such as Audi and Mercedes-Benz, but also the new factories and facilities of Semcorp and Boysen new factories and facilities.” He added that this new segment currently requires development and learning from all players in the construction industry.

"We regularly visit the Far East regions to observe what is going on in the factories there, which often has a positive effect: we can answer questions that are asked by the authorities or other actors who have not seen these technologies first hand."

The US investor has also raised its head

In addition to the above, the group also has significant interests in other segments. „We are very proud that, in addition to industrial investments, we have also been involved in commercial, healthcare, hotel and residential buildings, as well as sports facilities, so our references cover almost the entire spectrum of the construction industry in terms of large-scale investments.” Géza Germán cited the internationally renowned Corner Office Building in Vienna, the Bozsik Stadium, and the design of the National University of Public Service's Institute for Disaster Management. „The latter was a very significant task in terms of both scale and quality.”

He also mentioned the historic renovation of Semmelweis University's Facial and Oral Surgery Clinic of Semmelweis University, while the design office is also involved in the planning of military-related investments. „We designed a simulator building at the NATO Pápa Air Base, we designed a simulator building, where we delivered a model that meets the industry's special BIM requirements as part of the implementation plan. The model was also reviewed by the American investor, who expressed surprise that they had never seen a model developed to such a high standard.”

A further reference is the fact that the Penny chain has also redesigned its image, having been successful in a European competition. "We managed to unify the previously disparate architectural solutions of the chain in a relatively cost-effective solution."

Significant experience of the German way of working

He added that they designed three buildings in the BudaPart investment: the BRG, BRK and BRL buildings. The latter is being built as a high-rise building on the Kopaszi-gát waterfront. Another reference for the company is the design of the largest residential project on the Danube Terrace in the 13th district. „In 2022, when the development was built, it was the largest residential investment in Hungary,” he pointed out.

Due to their significant volume, Géza Germán made a special reference to the involvement in German investments. "German developers use our services from the so-called LPH1 (Leistungphase stands for development phase - ed.) up to LPH8. So we provide a complete solution that includes the concept design, the building permit, the tender design, the construction design, the tendering and evaluation, the design assistance during construction and the technical supervision. We have worked on a number of projects in Germany and at home where this type of German working method was required by the investor, so we have gained a lot of experience in this field."

They are also involved in the design review of the Paks expansion

The plan checking service has also been consciously integrated into the Group's activities in recent years. Géza stressed that this service is not the same as preparing for government regulation.

"We have made this improvement by assessing the needs of our own working methods. At the same time, projects have appeared where the client has requested this service, strengthening the internal process. In such cases, the client has another partner designing, but also asks us for a design review."

The Group's expertise in this area is demonstrated by the fact that its experts are involved in the design review of the Paks expansion, among other projects.

"These are the less spectacular activities that are not about a prize for excellence, but about the underlying high added value that we bring to our classic work."

Géza's words also revealed that the design office of the Museum of Transport planned for Kőbányai út in Budapest was the design office of Óbuda Group.

External experts were also involved in the in-house design jury

The Group's way of thinking is reflected in the fact that it has previously set up an internal design jury to which experts from renowned external companies were invited.

"Many people did not understand how we could allow 'quasi' competitors into an in-house closed environment. We thought, and still think, that the most important aspect of design is to achieve the highest possible architectural quality, and with this openness we can create to a higher standard."

A similar attitude is shown in the production of visual designs. "We have our own in-house visual design team, so we ensure in-house competence, we produce the visual designs as an integral part of the workflow." A similar goal was served when the company began to build its own team of interior designers. "What we found was that the work of the externally involved interior design team was divorced from the architecture we represented. Our clients were happy, but we felt that to meet the expectations we had set for ourselves, we needed our own guild of managing professionals."

BIM auditors have been involved in some of Hungary's biggest projects

One of the focus areas of the group is the BIM working method, an area that has seen significant development over the last ten years. "We have started to train BIM managers, among other things, in order to be able to qualify models for the market. As a result, in addition to designing with the BIM working method, we have certified BIM models for large-scale projects such as MVM Dome, the Puskás Arena, the National Athletics Centre, the Hungarian House of Music and the Ethnographic Museum and Visitor Centre, which were implemented as part of the Liget Budapest project."

As an example of the relevance of the BIM model, the manager cited the case where the designers of Óbuda Group used this methodology to design the time schedule of the structural construction of a large project. "During the organization phase, the contractor's engineers were stuck and wanted to know how they could solve the next structural construction steps. Our short film of the model then provided a quick help that about five engineers could have managed with very complex calculations: it gave a visual understanding of how to build the section."

In addition to all this, they have also successfully demonstrated their capabilities within an internationally recognised certification scheme, meaning that the architectural practice is now listed on BSI (British Standards Institution) standards. It is particularly worth noting that the company’s experts were also involved in reviewing the Hungarian version of the standard.

It takes years of consistent work to use BIM effectively

Géza Germán pointed out that the next ten years will see an explosive transformation in the use of the information provided by BIM. The change will be generated by the expectations of both investors and contractors.

"The contractor, for example, will be expected to model, at the level of design data, all the buildings and building elements that he has to construct in an identifiable way, quantity and quality. And if the model is properly parameterised in terms of construction technology, the contractor will also be able to produce an organisation plan for the entire construction period, for example."

He added that the design should, as far as possible, be coordinated in the 3D model so that the plans of the mechanical, electrical, low-voltage, structural, interior design and other disciplines are not in conflict. He stressed that it is also in the designer's fundamental interest to have a coordinated master plan that does not contain any design errors that would make the designer liable for the cost of the retrofit.

In his personal opinion, he said that to acquire this knowledge, an engineering firm needs to spend at least 3-4 years in order to apply it effectively. "Today in Hungary, apart from the large firms, few smaller firms are prepared for this."

This quality is proudly revealed to the environment

As the managing director explained at the beginning of the interview, it is important for Óbuda Group to raise the awareness of the market players about the designer's activities. One step in this positioning is the recent renewal of the group. The managing director stressed that the new brand is the result of a carefully thought-out in-house creative process, while also involving an external graphic designer and website designer.

Géza Germán also said that on the one hand, their partners and clients praise their new website, and on the other hand, their new website recently won a total of 3 awards in the Website of the Year competition in the B2B, Real Estate and Portfolio categories.

He also concluded with a conscious message of the rebranding: "What we are expressing with the think ahead slogan, that is, through conscious forethought, through careful planning, is that our design service is not just a shadowy, ancillary activity; but that here is a real architectural quality that we are proud to reveal to our surroundings."