Architekt Dr. Hendrik Elsner

Dear visitor,

I am proudly presenting myself to you on my personal homepage as a German architect.

A „Freischaffender Architekt“ is a so called freelance architect. He counts as an independent provider of services for his clients.
For example he is not allowed to build by himself and sell on his behalf his own designed buildings. Also he cannot express preferences on certain products or accept payments on intermediation of products from single providers or manufacturers. This should ensure his loyalty to his customer.

The freelance architect works out the best possible solution fort the demands of his client and gets in reward a fee (honorarium) which is based on the execution costs of the project. The calculation of the fee is regulated by the official decree for Honorarium (HOAI). The chamber for registered architects and engineers, as an independent institution, is monitoring the observance of the decree. All members of the chamber have to respect the rules of the fee decree equally.

The client, if German or English, has the right to receive the best possible consulting. The architect must put him in knowledge about the regulations of law regarding the clients project.

The German Architect develops a design on the basis of the clients demand which guides to a cost prediction.

If the architect and the client together turn out to elaborate an agreement between building design and funding possibilities the architect develops a design quality which guides to the official planning application.

The architect has to respect the applicable laws of the single Land (Bundesländer: Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Niedersachsen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, etc.). He has to respect the building laws of the single Land in order to provide his client a successful planning application. That means that it is his duty to prepare a planning application that can surely be permitted by the official side.

The building office (in German: Untere Bauaufsichtsbehörde) imposes the permit for the application and names several usual conditions. The building permit counts for the single plot, its buildings and their announced use. If a plot is sold to another owner this has to respect the conditions of the valid building permit which stays actual since a new planning application. If the announced use is transformed the building permit is broken. In many cases a new owner has in mind to use his newly owned facility in a different way. In that sense he organizes the inner room and space arrangement. Only few people know that the building permit because of the messing up of the fire protection concept and other infringements is now longer valid. This has a crucial influence on insurance matters in case of fire or other accidents.

My practice has gathered experience in residential and industrial constructions for many years. We own a consistent network of specialists concerning the building plant technology, the financial sector, state agents and contractors. Especially we are open for any kind of request from foreign clients which want to build or purchase in Germany.

We would like to point out that Germany plays a leading role in the emerging European market for energy saving systems in building plants, insulation technology and the use of renewable energies. We are specialized in concepts for new designs and existing buildings.

We kindly help you with any question related to our services.

With kind regards, Dr. Hendrik Elsner