Hello everyone, what you do here at Areal Böhler?

José: We are an architecture firm based in Seville and in Düsseldorf on Areal Böhler. I started here on my own three years ago and was looking for support, which I found both in Germany and in Spain. That was the start for us to set up an office in Seville as well. Now we work on different types of projects in both countries. Although the office here doesn't look that big, there are ten of us in total. Our team in Spain also works on German projects, they all speak the language fluently and have professional experience here. Here we take care of the on-site work (site management, meetings with the building authorities, clients, etc.).

How is your customer base organised? Who do you build for?

José: Our clients are mainly companies for whom we develop conversion and refurbishment projects, some of which are monumental buildings. Building in existing buildings is a trend that is currently very important to us. We also have retail projects for clients such as Mango, Guess and UNIQLO, as well as new-build projects such as detached houses that we develop for families. Topics such as sustainability or the passive house standard, for which we are certified as a designer, are particularly relevant for both existing and new buildings.

How do you get so many retail customers?

José: I worked as a project manager for Inditex, Mango and P&C for a long time. It's a pretty hermetic and dynamic industry: the project managers who are here today will be with a different brand in a few years' time. When I approached my former colleagues and told them about our office, the first enquiries came in. We are in the fortunate position of having a good reputation and a large network of contacts. So far, we haven't had to run any major advertising campaigns and we're not particularly active on social media, but that will change in 2025!

Why is Areal Böhler the perfect location for your German office?

José: Areal Böhler has a certain flexibility in terms of space. In the end, we found exactly the size of space we needed here. The connection to public transport and the motorway is of course great. That's an important point for us, as is the proximity to Düsseldorf and the airport. I live in Büderich and it was also very important for me not to lose the connection to Meerbusch. Areal Böhler is a site with a future development plan that we as architects find very interesting. It seamlessly combines different levels of activity and takes full advantage of its location on the border between the two cities by incorporating the best of both.

Looking to the future, do you have any wishes for Areal Böhler?

Mercedes: A bakery! And more gastronomy. We listened to your visions at the tenants' breakfast and can only agree with your analysis and the path you have chosen. We're excited to see what happens here. We also find your workshops and sports programmes very interesting and are happy to take part!