Praxis R. .PEAM
Praxis R.
- Client Project
- Usage Doctor's Office
- Scope Planning, Interior design, Furniture design
- Location Starnberg
- Year 2022
Not your typical doctor’s office
The request came straight from the doctor herself: “I want a space that doesn’t feel like a medical practice.” No sterile white, no clinical coolness, and no waiting areas that make you feel like you’re waiting. What she envisioned was something else entirely – a place that immediately puts people at ease. A space that feels welcoming, not because it has to, but because it genuinely wants to. From the very first conversation, it was clear: this space needed to support not just the patients, but the entire team. A place where people spend hours listening, advising, accompanying. The interior should reflect that – not distract from it. It should feel calm, but never cold. And make it clear: this is a place shaped by care, by time, by attention to detail.
Clarity. Calm. And a touch of home
At PEAM, we often speak of healing architecture. Because spaces always have an impact – whether we’re aware of it or not. They can soothe or unsettle, support or overwhelm. Nowhere is this more tangible than in a medical setting. So when we design, we think not just in shapes and finishes – but in emotions, routines, and the people who live and work in a space every day. This Starnberg project was about creating calm, even when the topics discussed are complex. And about offering the team a space that feels like their own. Because true care needs a place where people feel well.
Natural, not neutral
For us, it began with the materials. Untreated oak on the walls and in the custom-built furniture. Natural stone tiles – soft-matte, laid not only on the floors but continuing across the counters and waiting benches. The result: built-in elements that seem to grow out of the floor. Not placed, but grounded in the architecture. The colour palette is deliberately reduced – few materials, few tones. That’s what brings calm. No harsh contrasts, no visual noise – just quiet transitions. Everything was chosen to step back, not stand out. Light filters gently through wooden slatted blinds, casting warm shadows. The space breathes. It doesn’t demand attention, but it holds it.
Furniture that adapts to people
For this project, we designed a collection of bespoke furniture: reception counters, desks, benches, shelving – all made to fit the rooms they live in. Not as modular pieces, but as thoughtful responses. What is really needed? What should be visible – and what shouldn’t? Each room asked different questions. And the furniture answered. Not with trends, but with intention – shaped by real people, their rhythms, and their work.
Lighting that understands the room
From day one, light was a central theme. Not just a functional layer, but a mood setter. A silent organiser. Together with a lighting designer, we developed a concept that responds to each area’s needs. In treatment and lab rooms: clarity and focus. In waiting areas and team spaces: softness and stillness. Classic pieces add quiet depth – the Wally wall lamp by Miguel Milá or Gino Sarfatti’s 1956 desk light. Both from the 60s, both timeless in their presence. They don’t shout. But they glow with quiet certainty. It’s the kind of light that doesn’t demand attention – and yet transforms everything.
When architecture builds connection
This project was honoured with the 2023 German Design Award in the category “Excellent Interior Architecture”. A recognition that means a lot to us – not for visibility’s sake, but because it confirms something we deeply believe in: that space can change how we feel. At PEAM, design is never just about furniture. It’s about the feeling a room creates – when everything fits, when calm replaces noise, and when you sense: someone thought this through. That this vision was not only realised, but felt, is what makes this project so meaningful to us.
The everyday spaces matter too
Design doesn’t stop at the waiting room. In a place where people work long hours, the spaces behind the scenes deserve just as much care. So we created a quiet retreat for the team: a small kitchen corner, a cosy seating area – calm, warm, and thoughtfully made. Not designed to impress. But to support. To offer a pause. And maybe that’s why the staff feel so connected to this practice – because it shows that care isn’t just for patients. It’s for everyone who belongs.
Christine Bauer
