Braun Publishing AG

Exclusive living retreats set against the backdrop of majestic peaks, steep slopes and picturesque valleys

The chalet is a building style that enjoys lasting popularity all over the world. Dating back to the herdsman’s hut in the Alpine region, it became a longed-for destination and the most preferred holiday domicile in the 19th century with the emerging fascination with the Alps. Today, architects and designers are primarily inspired by the constantly redefined interplay of sublime nature, traditional architecture, regional building typologies, individual design, and modern formal language that pushes them to reach magnificent creative peaks.

The projects selected for this volume are diverse and remarkably multifaceted: From a traditional construction with a flat gable roof, wide roof overhang, and robust timber façade, to contemporary, thoroughly idiosyncratic interpretations with clear lines, creative choice of materials, and fine details. However, the artful staging of the imposing mountain world in the interior design plays a decisive role among all presented chalets.

Most likely the most personal and comprehensive book about the life’s work of Armin Hofmann.

Armin Hofmann has influenced generations of graphic designers around the world with his work and approaches. Far removed from doctrinaire views, he exemplified a professional attitude that was characterized by the idea of reduction, a pragmatic outlook, and a deep sense of responsibility. This publication provides a comprehensive overview of his creative work, his professional ethics, and the principles he developed and applied in his teaching. 

It is structured along three levels: the in-depth examination of Hofmann's work, his biography, and original texts on various aspects of his work. Guest contributions from former students and later renowned graphic designers and typographers, as well as fellow colleagues, paint a very personal picture and illustrate the worldwide influence of his work based on their own pieces. This book was compiled almost exclusively from original sources, in particular from the extensive private archive, enabling a very authentic, profound, and multifaceted immersion into the legacy of Armin Hofmann.

Reflections and practical action for the rapidly evolving discipline of visual communication.

Communication design is undergoing radical changes: an overabundant flood of information, fake news, bots, AI, social media, crude graphic tools on the Internet as well as the speed of processes and increasing pressure to be efficient, coupled with increased competition in the design sector and sometimes precarious working conditions. All of these factors put creatives in the field under pressure, leaving them little time to reflect on their own work. This handbook responds to the current situation by shedding new light on the societal relevance of the discipline in the context of professional practice.

The authors use their extensive expertise, practical work examples, and actionable suggestions to identify what really matters in visual communication. They describe the far-reaching interconnectedness of design with a wide range of issues and deal intensively with the current challenges. The overarching leitmotif is that communication design is always the result of the attitude of its protagonists – this compendium makes clear how their actions influence communication, what values are conveyed, and what our visual world looks like as a result.

New architectural impulses: recent buildings in the German capital by local architects as well as international projects by architects based in Berlin, complemented by essays on topics that are currently being discussed in the world of architecture. 

60 projects demonstrate how the new paradigm of conversion is a real turning point, rather than a short-lived trend. Examples include an apartment conversion that allows a family to remain in their home, triple-star cuisine in exceptional surroundings, smart updates for old schools, transformations, repair measures and all manner of add-ons, as well as a roadmap for the climate transition of an entire city: conceived in Berlin for places all around the world. 

This volume is a call for a diverse, multi-layered, socially orientated and therefore sustainable planning culture that involves and includes everyone. Eight essays discuss various phenomena: whether women live differently, the story behind Berlin’s pink piping, how dinosaurs change a location, what the architectural world is fighting for by the River Spree, where Berliners sit down, and how the city will affect even remote rural areas.

The print product performance in German-speaking Europe: a a selection of exceptional results

This publication reviews, documents and comments on the current state-of-the-art of print products: From an anniversary publication to a catalog, from an annual report to a magazine, from a label to corporate type design – and half a dozen other categories.

Print products can not only be visually experienced, they also decisively contribute to brand development and dialog in the digital age, as durable marketing tools, always visible, always loud and indispensable. Effective print design can awaken a range of completely different emotions through its haptic characteristics and tangibility. Convincing print products must be appealing and impressive just by touch. Particular emphasis is placed on a holistic view of all disciplines. This encompasses all steps from planning to processing that are involved in the conception, design and realization of a successful print project.

A beautiful range of new residential architecture at exotic places inspired by tropical vibes.

Tropical residential architecture has evolved from geographically specific building forms to a contemporary source of inspiration for residential design all over the world. It is distinguished by the use of natural materials and open floor plans that create wonderful spaces in which one can naturally find shelter from the sun and rain, but above all feel comfortable. This volume presents the most innovative implemented projects of this genre of recent years.

Whether a romantic beach house, an elegant loft apartment, a rustic house in the jungle, or an exclusive pool villa, each selected dwelling is a unique treasure, designed by renowned architects and innovative newcomers. They skillfully demonstrate how lush plants seem to grow through the house like a green carpet, how light-colored, flowing fabrics can create a flexible and soft room enclosure, or how plenty of sunlight can flood transparent rooms and bright colors complement the selected materials. A central role is almost always given to the dialogue between inside and outside, between the house and the surrounding nature, which becomes an integral part of the design concepts.

All about very special animal species in a unique world region: Simultaneous visual experience and exciting research on butterflies and moths based on over 1,000 carefully evaluated and analyzed photos.

Madagascar is regarded as a jewel of nature, where due to its isolated location away from all continents, a very unique flora and fauna could develop with numerous species that are found nowhere else in the world. This includes an amazing and unique variety of butterflies – and especially moths, which are systematically presented here for the first time in detail. All displayed animals were photographed alive, as they were captured at night by Armin Dett with the help of a light trap and then released.
In cooperation with leading collections and scientists they were identified and assigned, their genus families characterized and described. The book not only makes you marvel at nature's amazing creativeness through the stunning photos, but also provides an identification guide and is a valuable research tool. Furthermore, it is an important record of the current time, as climate change and habitat destruction due to clearing and population growth threaten this natural paradise in the Indian Ocean.

A meditative journey of kyoto's zen gardens through all four seasons by photos and poems

A Zen garden is the symbiotic fusion of Japanese philosophy and the art of garden design, a spiritual place of meditation and inner reflection that teaches mindfulness and brings joy to the eyes. If you want to get to know this garden culture, you won't find as many wonderful gems in such a small area anywhere in the world as in Kyoto.

Thomas Kierok photographed these unique gardens in all four seasons. Through encounters with important Zen garden designers, he was able to develop his own photographic perspective inspired by the spirit of Zen. Poems by world-renowned Zen poets Dogen, Basho and Ryokan complement the visual masterpieces. The book is a a meditative journey, a sanctuary for the soul, a retreat between two covers whenever the need for calm, inspiration and grounding arises.

Climate change and environmental pollution, rising energy prices and dwindling resources pose major challenges for the world of construction today. If sustainability is to become a global reality, it must also be designed and expressed with trend-setting aesthetics: The carefully selected sample projects of contemporary architecture show how this can be implemented in compelling ways.

They offer an informative overview of current, very different concepts, approaches and techniques. Sustainable building also means that ecological parameters involve not only all aspects of the actual building, but also the construction process and the afterlife in the sense of deconstruction and conversion, all of which must be considered by the planner as early as the design process. It is becoming increasingly important not to focus on short-term goals, but above all, on long-term ones.

An authoritative guidebook in chronological order whereby the buildings can be understood in their respective architectural-historical context.

Berlin is not just the capital city and largest metropolis in Germany. It is also characterised by its most varying architectural landscape. The present architecture guide, now in its latest expanded and updated version, creates comprehensive access to this amazing spectrum.

Enchanted and Intriguing Universes, Truths and Realities

The works published in this volume by Jonas C. Haefeli, who calls himself a "quarterly painter", appear surrealistic at first glance, However, on closer inspection they rather reflect the spirit of Fantastic Realism. The roots of this style lie in German and Dutch Mannerism, in Art Nouveau, in New Objectivity, and also in Surrealism. Haefeli's paintings are characterized by – only supposedly realistic – fantasy spaces whose access must first be deciphered.

Each painting is juxtaposed with a page of text with poetic, (pseudo-)scientific, ironically pointed, or also decidedly funny-absurd picture lines, quotations, newspaper clippings and miniature stories. In this way, the enigmatic works of art are explained, supplemented or even exaggerated caricature-style by yet another dimension.

New architectural impulses from Berlin

Whether new buildings, additions, or restructuring – construction never stops in Berlin, demonstrating the diverse way in which building culture contributes to society’s development. This volume presents examples of these activities: current projects in Berlin and around the world, conceived and designed by architects, urban planners, interior designers and landscape architects of Berlin. More than ever before, the main focus lies on the sustainable preservation of existing structures.

Renowned authors present essays highlighting the value of the constructed environment we already have. They demonstrate how even buildings earmarked for demolition can become exciting homes, how clever ideas can breathe new life into apparently outdated old buildings, and how transport and open spaces can be integrated into increasingly constricted urban settings.

Amazing discoveries under your feet: The eye-catching design of gully covers

You’ll find them all across the world, from Albania, Argentina and Australia to the United States, the Vatican and Vietnam. And yet maybe you’ve never even noticed them, hiding in plain sight beneath your feet. Manhole covers
have been part of our world for thousands of years – intensely practical,
functional objects, but at the same time featuring an infinite variety of designs,
from austere and minimalist to playful and illustrative. Using a uniform
black-and-white graphic style to precisely recreate manhole covers from 80 countries, this volume provides an insight into the fascinating design language
of these unique objects – and what they reveal about the societies that
produce them.

With poster of the most extraordinary manhole covers!

“Being a graphic designer and type aficionado, I couldn’t help but notice the
enormous variety of manhole cover designs. I wanted to bring that amazing
variety to life in a new way.”
Björn Altmann

A journey to the world’s most beautiful houses at the shore

This volume is a survey to rediscover and redefine life by the sea. The selected projects show the planning and construction possibilities in dealing with the special conditions of such locations. It presents creative designs and spatial concepts from all over the world of dreamlike, relaxed, and enjoyable living between water, air and earth.
Living by the sea, surrounded by dunes, cliffs or wide beaches is a life in sync with nature, immersed in nature. Naturally, this preferred location near the water also leaves its imprint on the buildings there. Beach houses have to offer protection against the wind and waves, but above all, as the supreme manifestation of longing turned into architecture, they must give room for experiencing nature.

Exciting and surprising approaches of how living spaces reduced to a minimum can enhance the quality of life to a maximum

Instead of the horizontal panning movement used to create a classic panoramic image, the author experiments with curves as well as vertical or parallel shifting. A fixed camera recording of turning objects leads to surprising results and a whole new dimension of imaging. The results simultaneously show multiple sides and angles of an object, offering a fascinatingly deconstructed perception. Artifacts and objects unravel into new sculptures, at the same time familiar and irritatingly different – stylized and estheticized by rotography.

The perspective dissolves as photographic boundaries are exceeded to a new extreme. This illustrated book takes the reader through this creative experiment with the iPhone into a new dimension of panorama photography and invites to explore one’s own creative ventures, and to immerse contemplatively in the world of rotography.

Elaborating the diversity of wood architecture today for private homes

More and more architects and builders are exploring the possibilities of a material for the construction of houses that offers unparalleled major advantages regarding design, function and ecology. Wood is a renewable building resource that impresses with its natural qualities as well as its astonishing versatility, especially given a number of new techniques, processing options, and innovations. Moreover, wooden architecture represents a promising opportunity to work towards a more CO2-neutral future.

Frank Lloyd Wright said about the world’s oldest building material that it is "universally beautiful" and "the most human of all materials", facts that are highlighted in this volume focusing on residences. The presented projects demonstrate the sheer endless possibilities of timber for architecture and interior design. From an esthetic point of view, they also show completely new ways for, but not limited to, the design of individual homes.

Contemporary architecture in the German capital by local architects as well as projects elsewhere by architects based in Berlin, complemented by essays on current topics giving impulses for the global architectural discourse.

Today, building culture also means resource-saving conversion culture. Reconsidering buildings and neighborhoods that are worth preserving, using them better, converting and extending them cleverly, is both a tradition and a trend in Berlin: a trend with a great future, as the 60 exciting projects conceived in Berlin demonstrate.

Cafés, coffeehouses, and coffee shops around the world supply us with energy and lift our spirits every day. They are spaces for exchange and interaction, for letting the imagination flow and even escaping reality, and, of course, for writing, reading and thinking – a second home for many of us.

This book presents international projects with a focus on the amazing versatility of this eco-hero in architecture and interior design

Architecture involving and consisting of bamboo as a building material has developed into one of the most fascinating and dynamic areas of global building culture. The giant grass is found on all continents and, as the fastest-growing plant species, is in basically infinite supply. The unique material properties combining extreme hardness with low weight, strong compressive and tensile strength, and elasticity significantly contribute to this trend.

Bend & Build shows the amazing versatility of this eco-hero of architecture and interior design, whose applications have become significantly wider and more diversified This collection includes some of the finest, most creative, and cutting-edge bamboo projects of recent years. The range extends from traditional building styles and their modern interpretation to the innovative combination of bamboo with other materials.

What are the underlying reasons for the success or failure of a design manifesto? How can cultural exchange bring new value to the field of graphic design? At the end of the day is the contemporary scene still truly innovative or simply basking in past glories?

Over the course of a residency at a London gallery, Swiss designer Demian Conrad invited an array of graphic designers and typographers past and present to share the anecdotes, stories and scandals that have marked the international design scene over the course of the last century. The result is Who the Hell is Müller-Brockmann?, an examination of the ways in which the Swiss Style influenced British graphic design and vice versa.

This celebration of the ongoing dialogue and collaboration that has existed between the design traditions of these two countries also lays bare the divergences and conflicts that lie beneath the surface, and examines how such things as a typeface or a layout grid can come to have such an enduring impact on a global community and elicit such strong emotions. Each participant was asked to bring a design-related artefact that represents their personal connection with the Swiss Style, all of which are presented in this volume. These images and the dialogues they generate create a bridge between the typographic traditions and practices of Britain and Switzerland.

Contributors: Bruno Maag, Fraser Muggeridge, Freda Sack, Holger Jacobs, Michele Jannuzzi, Richard Hollis, Robin Kinross Sara De Bondt

For centuries, the golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) has been the archetype of the majestic bird of prey. The awe-inspiring birds have fascinated people of all cultures around the world with their proud appearance, the impressive wingspan of six to eight feet, amazing flying skills and much more. They are omnipresent in numerous fairy tales, myths, symbols, coats of arms, and state insignia.

The book is a stunning homage in black and white to the sovereign of the skies. The reader is presented with and captivated by well-founded background knowledge, remarkable personal anecdotes and reflections, as well as fairy tales, poems, quotes and short stories.

The fact that Heinz M. Gut only takes pictures of wild animals in their natural environment without any intervention lends a special quality to the book. The range of images extends from almost anatomical studies of the golden eagle, via pictures in which light reflections on the plumage play a central role, to poetic-looking images depicting the bird of prey in its spectacular rough and rugged habitat.

From the analysis of the formal components of objects, via an overview of the possibilities of developing and optimizing the creative process, to the development of one's own evaluation catalog.
What forms are there in general?
What shape-giving processes are available?
What are the evaluation criteria for existing objects and those yet to be developed?
These fundamental questions, which every creative professional poses again and again, are addressed, systematically explained, and answered in this volume. The publication also provides you with a set of basic tools for better communication when discussing and explaining your work and your projects.
The first part is a comprehensive compilation that identifies and describes all forms that exist for objects. The middle section offers a qualitative overview of the possibilities with which form elements, forms, or objects can be developed and optimized. In the third section the methodology for the development of your own evaluation system is presented.
The objective of this work is to offer an orientation on the basics of design, combining the aspects of shape, craft, content, and method into a holistic understanding of the art.

Architects and interior designers need to engage accordingly with the individual character of their clients; it is their job to understand how their clients want to live and to translate this into their spatial concepts. This book celebrates life in all its diversity through creatively designed living spaces. With carefully selected interiors from around the world, this volume is also a cultural history of contemporary lifestyle.

    •    The Starlake Villa in Hanoi, Vietnam (Le House)
    •    Penthouse L in Vienna, Austria (destilat Design Studio)
    •    The Wonderland Park Residence in Laurel Canyon, USA (Assembledge+)
    •    Reflections of the Past in Amsterdam, The Netherlands (Firm architects)
    •    CR Apartment in Lisbong, Portugal (ESQVTA)
    •    Mo-tel House in London, UK (Office S&M)

Stylish vacation accommodations where architects would stay themselves.

Fighters made of bronze, gigantic wall reliefs depicting heroic cosmonauts, and socialist pomp: If you immerse yourself today into the subway systems in countries that formerly belonged to the USSR and of Eastern Europe, time seems to stand still. The stations are chronicles of the history and art of a long vanished world power, conceived as prestige projects, thousands of kilometers apart, and created under different conditions in different times. In this volume, photographer Frank Herfort presents around 20 metro systems of the Soviet era from Moscow to Bucharest, from Baku to Tbilisi and Kiev.

Thanks to the sharpness of his eyes, the images bring amazing details to light. His photographs come together to form a holistic and comprehensive representation of socialist art that at the same time relates strongly to the modern residents of the cities, skillfully snatching elusive but precious moments from the whirlpool of everyday life.

Is there a bigger challenge for a designer than the creation of an identity for the Olympic Games? Each venue must have its own unique image that merges national spirit and international trends with the Olympic values of friendship, solidarity, and fairness. This title provides an in-depth overview of the history of the Games, centering visual design aspects for the first time: logos, mascots, medals, pictograms, uniforms, tickets, luggage tags, posters, souvenirs, and much more.

Markus Osterwalder presents approximately 6,000 illustrations on over 1,500 pages in two volumes, coming in a slipcase, with fifty-eight chapters that detail astonishing facts and stories about who created what and how. Three foldout sheets give an overview on key design topics from the birth of the Modern Games to the present. For each of the Games, the passionate Swiss collector has chosen comprehensive examples from all desigin fields that enable viewers and readers to fully grasp the design identity of the respective Games. In addition, this title also highlights extraordinarily exciting developments in the field of corporate identity and brand design.

Markus Osterwalder, Secretary General of the International Society of Olympic Historians, has one of the biggest Olympic ollections worldwide and is a renowned expert in the field. A graphic designer, Osterwalder has been devoted to the visual history of the Olympic Games for almost thirty years. He started to collect everything from and about the Olympic Games when he attended his first Games in Lillehammer 1994. Recently, he curated the exhibition “Olympic Langauage—Exploring the Look of the Games“ at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland.

How can houses be upgraded to meet today’s demands – from living comfort via energy efficiency to digital requirements? How can the fusion of historic and new elements be utilized as a design element? 

The continued use of existing residential buildings, be it a Renaissance townhouse, a Ming Dynasty atriumhouse, a 19th-century farmhouse, or a post-war bungalow, not only scores with the charm of former years, but actually also with an advantagous ecological balance.

Based on carefully selected works, this book presents the whole scope of possibilities for extensions and conversions – from annexes, via new designs for existing spaces, to additional sections, or conceptually merged rooms. All are evidence that preservation is a creative challenge that has many different solutions.