EST. 2003
Studio for Interior and Architecture
Dipl Ing Architekt Daniel Schöning
Herbert-Weichmann-Straße 69
22085 Hamburg
Mobile +49 171 2201115
e-mail ds@schoening.studio

Focus Areas

1. Building on the Existing
& Conversion
SCHÖNING STUDIO sees architecture as an ongoing conversation — building forward with what already exists. Not against the old, but alongside it. Every structure carries a story worth listening to, expanding, and transforming. New ideas grow out of what’s there: additions instead of replacements, interpretations instead of imitations. The result: spaces with an identity of their own, naturally connecting where they come from with where they’re going.

A key focus is the conversion and adaptive reuse of existing buildings. An old barn becomes an open home. A factory hall turns into an inspiring workspace. A workshop morphs into a place of community. These tasks sit at the intersection of architecture and interior design — they require both technical precision and a deep sensitivity to atmosphere.
For SCHÖNING STUDIO, transforming existing buildings is not just a design strategy — it’s a cultural and ecological stance. In a time shaped by climate change and housing shortages, sustainable planning means using what’s already there.
Saving resources, reducing land consumption, improving energy performance — these aren’t limitations, but catalysts for a new architectural culture.Legislative changes and funding programs support this shift, but our motivation comes from elsewhere: from the conviction that architecture must take responsibility — environmentally, socially and culturally.

2. New Work
Rethinking the Places We Work In
Coming to the office should feel good — every single day. SCHÖNING STUDIO creates work environments that make that possible. Today, offices are places of exchange, creativity and shared experience. They’re no longer just functional workplaces, but emotional and social spaces.

Work culture is changing fast: digitalization, AI and flexible models like remote work shape our routines. At the same time, people crave belonging, inspiration and balance. Companies are increasingly aware that space plays a crucial role in nurturing identity, motivation and creativity.
Our projects follow one clear principle: people come first.
Biophilic design brings nature indoors — with light, materials, plants and natural color palettes that lift wellbeing. Neuroaesthetics translates insights from psychology and neuroscience into spatial atmospheres that enhance focus, mood and creativity.This is how environments emerge that not only work smoothly, but inspire and connect. Whether co-working space, company headquarters or hybrid studio: SCHÖNING STUDIO designs workspaces that express brand identity and attract people — because they create places where you genuinely want to be.Our goal: to actively shape the future of work. Every project becomes a building block of this new work culture — open, flexible, human and future-oriented.

Approach

Reductive Architecture
SCHÖNING STUDIO works with the principle of reduction — design that focuses on what truly matters: space, material and light. Reduction doesn’t mean less. It means clarity. It creates places that feel calm, grounded and present.This mindset guides all our work — from existing buildings to interior architecture. We see architecture as a conscious use of resources: functional, aesthetic, and social. Sustainability emerges when the existing is rethought and materials are used with intention. It’s where functional clarity meets formal precision and a mindset that reaches far beyond a single project.

Designing Through Dialogue
the “Phase Zero”
Every project begins with shared questions:
Where and how can a place — or a company — develop its culture?
How can a space support everything that’s needed functionally, while also inspiring identity, connection and wellbeing?

Before the actual planning begins, we create an open dialogue process together with our clients: Phase Zero. In a workshop setting, goals, values and needs become clear — forming a solid foundation for everything that follows.
These insights shape the spatial concept, the design, and ultimately the implementation.Traditionally, the HOAI divides planning into phases 1–9 — from preliminary design to permits, execution planning and construction supervision. But this structure assumes that the project’s goals are already defined.
Our experience shows the opposite: the essential decisions are often made long before. Phase Zero creates space for this crucial step — for thinking together, listening and understanding. Only when the “why” of a project is clear can architecture unfold its full potential.

Background
Daniel Schöning’s work sits at the intersection of architecture and design — a holistic approach where space, material and light merge into one. With studies in product design at the Hochschule für Gestaltung Offenbach and architecture at the TU Darmstadt, interior design has always been central to his work.

In 2003, he founded Schöning Spalt Architekten in Hamburg together with Sarah Schöning. The small studio realized conversions, roof extensions, medical practices, homes and hospitality projects — all shaped by a clear formal language and an affinity for honest materials like wood, concrete, steel and glass. A key early milestone was the transformation of an industrial hall at Kampnagel into a dance studio (2007) — marking the beginning of his specialization in the adaptive reuse of existing buildings.

In 2010, he co-founded WRS Architekten & Stadtplaner GmbH with Axel Winckler and Stefan Röhr-Kramer, serving as managing partner. With a team of up to 15 people, the office delivered projects ranging from kindergartens and gymnasiums to residential buildings with up to 50 units. Interior architecture remained a strong passion throughout — eventually culminating in the furnishing of the Elbphilharmonie, which became a turning point towards a deeper focus on interior design.

From 2018, Daniel served as co-managing director at PLY atelier, a Hamburg-based interior studio working for clients such as OTTO Group, Deloitte, Ramboll and Geometry Global. The focus: new work environments — warm, flexible offices responding to the demands of digitalization. Especially during the pandemic, the idea of the office as a place for communication and connection became a defining approach.

In 2023, he joined caspar.schmitzmorkramer gmbh to lead their interior department of ten designers.

In 2025, with the founding of his own studio, Daniel continues his path with full clarity. His work now centers on two themes shaping the future of building:
the conversion of existing structures and the creation of contemporary work environments.
Both are united by a consistent architectural stance: material honesty, functional clarity and spatial precision.