Scaling up as a matter of design

Andi Thomczyk, Tom Chan and Karin Hepp are internally focusing on quality apart from creation of space and graphic design. Mark Graham / China Daily

Launching a Beijing-based consultancy pays off for European couple and partners

When their Beijing contracts expired, architects Karin Hepp and Andi Thomczyk had the option of returning home to Europe, to take up offers of secure, and well-paid jobs.

Instead, the couple decided to stay in the capital, convinced that there were more exciting and challenging professional opportunities available there than at home.

It proved to be an astute move. Their design consultancy anySCALE, set up two years ago with Guangdong-born graphic designer Tom Chan, is thriving, with a bulging order book that includes design projects for private clubs, car companies and fashion boutiques.

"Staying in China was a big decision," recalls Germany-born Thomczyk. "It was done with the heart rather than applying logic. We had the offer of well-paid jobs back in Europe but decided we were too young to return home. Beijing gives us opportunities and challenges. I feel it keeps me alive and keeps me running."

AnySCALE now counts heavyweight corporate clients among its roster, including the German car manufacturer Audi, which commissioned the company to design the interior of its futuristic showroom, Audi City, which maximizes the usage of digital technology.

Another major European player, the phone company Nokia, requested a strong digital element for the interiors of its new corporate offices, near the historic Lama Temple in the northern part of Beijing.

That project has floor space of 30,000 square meters, but anySCALE also undertakes smaller projects, including fashion boutiques, schools, members' clubs and even small offices, hence the name.