What are the standards for a happy work environment? Every day multinational companies are doing their best to create a good work environment in order to improve their employees’ efficiency and reduce stress. That’s what happens in the adults’ world. But what about the children? Many of them spend significant part of their time in sterile even hostile buildings instead of pleasant and warm ones. What if children turned into the designers of their world? Besides who could know better about their needs than the children themselves? Baupiloten gave them a chance to be the co-designers of such an environment.

Susanne Hofmann founded the Baupiloten in June 2003 giving fourth and fifth year architecture students practical experience on architectural projects and also the chance to develop and realise a design. Erika-Mann Elementary School is part of The Carl-Bolle-Grundschule project where adults and children use their talent to set their own standards in what we call the “work” environment. A project that invites children to enter the adult’s world and use their imagination to create their own place. Besides where else would Silver dragons, fire flowers, treasures and kaleidoscopes coexist harmonically under the same roof?