Kohlbecker Brothers are leading industrial architecture into the digital age

In 2022, Kohlbecker Gesamtplan GmbH is celebrating 90 years in Industrial Architecture and pushing boundaries in digitising the industry. Making use of cutting-edge technology, the company has become Europe’s general planner and emphasises sustainability while working towards a carbon-neutral footprint.

About Kohlbecker Gesamtplan GmbH

Ever since the company was founded by Karl Kohlbecker in 1930, three generations of Kohlbecker men have dedicated themselves to being responsible for countless automotive structures on a global scale. Their reputation has brought them customers like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Porsche, Jaguar Landrover, Magna Steyr, and HK Motors.

Kohlbecker Gesamtplan has not only worked for clients from the automotive industry, but the company has also contracted with HARIBO, the Jumeirah Group, the Sochi Winter Olympics as well as rebuilding Berlin's iconic "Potsdamer Platz".

Sustainable and digitised practices

Kohlbecker has become one of Europe’s general planners having built its success by pushing digital capabilities

Of course, as decades past, there was an intrinsic need to adapt, modify, innovate, and finally revolutionise the way architects work to keep the company’s edge over their competitors. Together, the charismatic duo is guiding their ninety-year-old family business into a bright future of sustainable, responsible, and digitized practices.

Kohlbecker has quickly become one of Europe’s pioneering general planners having built its success by pushing digital capabilities. Kohlbecker’s reputation has seen it win ambitious, complex projects for manufacturing and production factories.

Integration of technology 

Kohlbecker remains family-run with its lead principals, tech-savvy brothers Matthias and Florian, heavily invested in integrating technology – from AI and VR to robotics  – into its core service offering.

The architecture and engineering market is now heavily driven by technological advancements due to increasing project complexity. Digital tools, from machine learning to fabrication technologies; artificial intelligence to Big Data have become increasingly ubiquitous and pervasive within architecture.

AVAT AR tech Platform

AVAT AR acts like a “Digital Twin” for clients at Kohlbecker to virtually interface throughout planning and management

In midst of a global pandemic changing the rules and necessities of how social and business practices are executed, Kohlbecker has launched AVAT AR, their proprietary tech Platform which aims to increase project efficiency by 20%. AVAT AR acts like a “Digital Twin” for clients and project managers at Kohlbecker to virtually interface throughout the planning and management of any given construction project.

Kohlbecker’s practices have proven to generate significant productivity increases, as well as potential cost savings. Kohlbecker’s AVAT AR technology has been used in large-scale redevelopment projects with clients including a recent Project for German car manufacturer Audi in Asia.

CO2 emission and cost savings 

“Not only was travel largely impossible due to the pandemic but it was also made unnecessary by our digital way of working,” shares Florian Kohlbecker. “This made it possible to orchestrate a global team and a high-performance project without any face-to-face meetings."

"In the first 13 weeks of the undertaking, more than 251,000 miles of business travel were saved, thus preventing 110 tons of CO2 emissions (the equivalent of more than 115 soccer fields of forest being saved), which would have required 35,000 trees to absorb in the same period. This led to the over $300k being saved as well."

Expo 2020 Dubai

The company will be showcasing AVAT AR at the Expo 2020 Dubai, with Florian Kohlbecker being on stage to run through facts and how technology might just be the answer to saving the planet.

Currently, Kohlbecker is well on track with yearly revenue of over USD 30M. Its lead principals Matthias and Florian Kohlbecker have successfully led the business to exceptional growth, including year-on-year growth for the past three years despite the coronavirus pandemic.