b+ (bplus)

b+ (bplus) is an architecture practice based in Berlin that emerged from the earlier office Brandlhuber+ in 2021. The studio is anchored by Arno Brandlhuber and Olaf Grawert, who have established a reputation for a radical approach to the reuse and transformation of existing buildings, particularly those from the post-war period. Their office itself is located in the Lichtenberg district, inside a converted former silo-tower, and includes a prototyping workshop for experimenting with materials like glass, metal, and wood. The core of b+'s practice lies in the adaptive reuse of buildings and neighborhoods, aiming to preserve their social, ecological, and cultural values. Their methodology is marked by minimal intervention: stripping structures down to their essentials and adding only what is absolutely necessary. Notable projects include Antivilla, Mäusebunker (Mouse House), and the office's own towers in Lichtenberg, nicknamed "San Gimignano Lichtenberg" after the medieval towers in Tuscany. Each project exemplifies their philosophy of working within legal and physical constraints rather than seeing them as obstacles. Beyond built projects, b+ is active in shaping policy. Their HouseEurope! campaign is a notable example, seeking to introduce legislation at the European level that would make the renovation and reuse of existing buildings both affordable and socially beneficial. The practice also maintains an active role in exhibitions and research, often engaging in public discourse about architecture's role in environmental and societal transformation. b+ works collaboratively, often engaging with varied stakeholders, and emphasizes systemic, economically viable, and ecologically responsible solutions in its projects. Their work, which bridges practical design, policy advocacy, and research, regularly receives recognition in the architectural field.