philosophy
Hi, I’m Patrice, founder, CEO, and Creative Director of GRUNER&FRIENDS. I grew up in Basel, a city where art and architecture naturally shape everyday life. My early love of drawing, my creativity, and my constant curiosity have grown into my passion, and eventually into my profession. A shared enthusiasm for film with my brother Tizian (GRUNERFILMS) has further expanded my creative horizon.
My journey led me far beyond Basel: to Copenhagen and Paris, where I learned playful experimentation at BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group; to Beijing, where Ole Scheeren showed me the power of scale; and back to Basel at Burckhardt Architecture, where Swiss precision shaped my understanding of quality.
These experiences, combined with the context-focused ETH Zurich and the concept-focused OMA world, showed me what kind of architecture I believe in and the studio I wanted to build. My designs reflect the continuation of this approach, enriched by BIG’s DNA. In 2017, I founded GRUNER&FRIENDS in my hometown Basel, with a Creative Lab that pushes beyond architecture.
"We enrich people’s lives with playful and visionary spaces designed for the future of living."
VALUES
collaboration
By people, for people – proactive collaboration is in our nature. We listen closely, support fully, and communicate honestly. Our goal is to partner with the best people to create playful, emotional, and human-centered architecture.
PASSION
We love architecture. That’s why we invest care, commitment, and ambition into every project to create added value that enriches people’s lives.
QUALITY
We believe that great architecture begins with outstanding quality. From concept to completion, our process is defined by precision, the highest Swiss standards, and a commitment to excellence, aiming to make a meaningful difference.
CREATIVITY
Creativity drives our architecture. Through a dynamic process and an experimental mindset, we transform bold ideas into meaningful spaces. Every project is an opportunity to create something new and distinctive, shaped by strong, visionary concepts.
gO bEYOND
We go beyond architecture by continuously exploring new possibilities and pushing boundaries across disciplines. Our designs challenge conventions, surprise, inspire, and give every project the potential to exceed expectations.
OFFICE
Our office is located in the city center of Basel. The open-plan workspace offers plenty of room for collaboration and transparent communication, while the Creative Lab on the ground floor provides inspiration and encourages the exploration of new ideas.
Our staff room, complete with a modern kitchen, is the perfect place to foster a great team spirit over a shared lunch. In addition, there are versatile breakout spaces available, whether for a spontaneous game of table tennis for a change of pace or the cosy lounge for a quiet moment.
