TINE WAGENMANN

Describe yourself in 5 words? 

communicative, open-minded, creative, determined, fearless

How does design imbue your life day-to-day? 

I love to be aware of my everyday schedule and love every day and what I am doing. Being surrounded by good design gives me a feeling of confidence and well-being. It calms me down and inspires me.

I Am woman was designed to inspire the future of women in business, so with that in mind, if you could you give one piece of advice to young females, what would it be? 

Always challenge yourself because it means progress. Step out of your comfort zone and grow. Even if something does not turn out like you thought it would, you will gain experience, learn, and evolve. I often found and still find myself in a situation where people don't expect to suit my position but be an assistant. In cases like these, you need to be self-assured and bold. Believe in yourself and be confident in what you know and who you are. Everybody starts small, yes. But it's the little things that tend to grow big.

If you ran the world for a day .. what three things would you implement/change? 

First and foremost, equality. The lack of equality amongst humanity is the reason for all the major conflicts we face today.

The second would be patience. I feel like society needs more of it. Everything is so rapid, so fast. I'd recommend listening to Billy Joel's "Vienna ": 

Where's the fire, what's the hurry about? You'd better cool it off before you burn it out You've got so much to do. And only so many hours in a day

Number 3 is respect - for the elderly, for craftsmanship, and the feelings of other people. I'd ask people to be much more aware of themselves and others.

How do you spend time outside of work? 

I love to be out in nature for walks and forgetting the time around me. Nature is the best teacher when it comes to interconnectivity. Nature does so much for humanity. I get the chance to breathe, calm down, and gain new energies. It reminds me of the big things and the responsibility everyone has to keep our surroundings healthy and in balance for the forthcoming generations.

What city fits your style and aesthetic most? 

Vancouver and Zürich are some of my favorite cities because they got both mountains and water. They are both fascinating cities concerning art, new ideas of working and living. Also, they are of beautiful diversity. Both have lovely architecture, restaurants, and galleries. Venice is a bit where my heart feels at home because of all the impressive history and old buildings. A tiny village in the Swiss alps feels like my second home. I highly appreciate the existing ancient traditions of buildings and craftsmanship. It is the simplicity of those buildings and surroundings that inspire me.  

What trends are you loving at the moment whether it be fashion, interiors, beauty or food. 

Individuality! I like that we live in a time where everyone can choose to do what they want, what they want to dress like, and define them through their style. To me, it's a symbol of freedom and self-expression. 

In this rapidly changing world, how would you improve sustainability globally? 

I would implement growing gardens in every city. We need to grow our food and know where it comes from. Every inhabitant should be able to get certain things locally and fresh. This also means we have to adapt our consumption according to the seasons.

In our architecture projects, we design in a way that everything can be reused when not needed.

If you woke up tomorrow as chancellor of Germany, what are the top three things you would address? 

My three changes for the world: equality, patience, and respect. It’s all about the community around you and how you try to actively change behavior towards a more mindful living as a community. In the first question, we were talking about changes in the world. Here the community in Germany. I am already onto these things in the community, family and friends I have around me and I am lucky to have like-minded people that work with me on this task. As a chancellor I would see myself as a conversation starter to get the ball rolling towards change.

If you didn't end up in your career what other job would you have done and why?

Instead of being an architect, I would love to be a doctor. I am very interested in medicine and developing healthy and stable living. Being part of positive development in the medical sector would be my second love. That's where I formerly come from before I studied architecture, and that's where I'd love to go back in combining my two passions. The reason I studied architecture was to create and develop hospices. To this day, it's still on my bucket list.

Do you have any upcoming projects or events you want to share with us? 

With the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, we started to develop a project called #ehwda, which in german means one hand washes the other. It is a platform where we form concepts for different professions and people to connect and support each other.

We want to connect people and businesses that would not have come together in regular times. One example is a coffee, tea & strength talk we established for women that never met but could support each other by discussing their loneliness and fears in a safe space. Another project was the repurposing of hotels as places for people from the corona front line. We want to offer comfort to people who cannot return to their families and loved ones due to their working situation. 

I love to share this with you and invite everybody to be part of it. Together we can create more connections for an empathic and meaningful future.

We would love to know which two products from KFive+Kinnarps are your favorite?

First of all, I need to point out how I admire KFive+Kinnarps for how they implement furniture into their surroundings. This enables the required concepts for sustainable design and interior approaches. That being said, I am a big fan of the abstracta Stitch Screen as exceptional sound design resolutions are always a distinct topic in my interior projects.

The second product type I always consider when working on a project is modular seating solutions. The ascent double bench checks all the boxes. It’s a sustainable product with a biophilic touch, and it just got the looks!

What woman in your life would you like to thank, and why? 

Tough one as I cannot limit this to one woman. Right away, I want to name three women that come to my mind. They inspired me throughout my career and my self-aware path in life. 

First, there is Jane Goodall, whose work ethic and sight on social constructs I admire. Her work and her life choices are symbols of selflessness and empathy over the social and even human borders. She is a frontrunner when it comes to the necessity of reconnecting with nature.

Marie Curie, plain and simple, stood out against the male domain at the beginning of the 19th century enabling a future female force.

Last but not least, the German actress Jutta Speidel who crossed my way. She runs houses for women that were victims of abuse. A circumstance that deeply concerns me. Speidel is a power package working on her approach to offer guidance and support to those in need.

All of these women share the characteristic of selflessness or self-abandonment for a higher cause. I appreciate people who take themselves back and see their existence as a piece to a puzzle that is life and the well-being of a community.