Our guest on 17.07.2011 Thomas Willemeit, Architect

Thomas Willemeit doesn't like to be pinned down in his job. He is first and foremost an architect, but he's also a musician, designer, urban planner and interior designer - and they all flow into one.

Thomas Willemeit was born in Remscheid in 1968. At the age of six he began playing the violin, he later sang in the state youth choir for North-Rhine Westphalia. He considered studying music, but was put off by the thought of having to rehearse for hours alone. So he decided to study architecture instead in Braunschweig, where he immediately met his future business partners Wolfram Putz and Lars Krückeberg. Together they founded a student choir called A.Cantus, which went on to win competitions and give international concerts.

In 1997, Willemeit completed his studies and then followed his student friends to Los Angeles. The following year, the three of them set up Graft, an architecture and design agency. Right from the early years, they began planning small projects for some big name celebrities. Brad Pitt was one of their first customers. Later, in 2007, Graft supported Brad Pitt and his foundation "Make it Right" in rebuilding Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. In 2001 Graft opened an office in Berlin. A branch in Beijing followed in 2004. Their work for the Berlin designer hotel Q! won them numerous awards. The Graft architects have a reputation for experimenting - Thomas Willemeit and his partners say they love nothing more than change.