Architect Christopher Sitzler: On The Importance Of Understanding Spaces Before Transforming Them

“I always dreamt of working independently.”Born in the south of Germany, Sitzler studied in Karlsruhe and Berlin before moving to Zurich, where he worked with the architectural firm Pool Architekten. After some years in Switzerland, he returned to Berlin and joined Robertneun. During this time, he also began to work on a few projects on the side until he could open his own studio. “I always dreamt of working independently,” Sitzler shares. “Yet, my time with companies like Pool Architekten was formative for me and my approach to architecture. It was then that I really started to work with residential buildings,”—one of the fields the architect is most drawn to today.

In most of his current projects, he focuses on transforming residential spaces within a given architectural framework—away from standardized living models and towards more personalized solutions. “With large residential buildings or housing estates, one tends to build apartments that work for as many people as possible. The projects I’m currently working on, however, are more about individual preferences,” he tells us. “In an urban context, you deal with the question of how to accommodate specific needs in the limited space available—this is something that is super interesting to me.”