What is Handwerk and Bau?
Handwerk und Bau is a project born out of curiosity. A curiosity rooted in a deep interest in materiality, functional design and a certain authenticity that construction sites and workers come with. In a world where seemingly everything is a trend, or trying to be one, where many designers are making projects for the present moment and not the future, construction sites seem a timeless and reliable source of authenticity.
While time is a crucial factor on construction sites, the people working on construction sites, their tools and construction materials seem to withstand the concept of time and trends. This does not include the result of most construction processes: architecture and its design.
Except for a few technological advancements, many processes and tools used on construction sites have not changed. Their functional and timeless designs are intriguing and simply beautiful. The beauty lies in the fact that these objects are designed for their function and not their aesthetic attributes. Thus, tools are mostly immune to trends; instead rely on materiality, longevity, production techniques and function. Even heavy machinery such as cranes or Caterpillar excavators remained true to their exterior design.
All of this would not be possible without highly skilled and resilient construction workers and contractors, building desperately needed housing, fixing what the average Joe can not and essentially doing what many people don't want to do. They play a crucial role in an industry that has an immense impact on our society, burdened with tasks that robots or Artificial Intelligence will not out perform any time soon.
This is why H+B exists. We want to document and give insight into the world of construction sites, highlighting their impact on the urban landscape and everything connected to it.
We aim to show, inform and promote.