Ilja Gendelmann #GerneBerliner

Photographer: Sandra Köpke

Ilja speaks about:

Entrepreneurship, courage and success; and how Berlin has influenced him
His confidence and the influence of his family on the decision to become an independent architect
His early days as a freelance architect, difficulties in obtaining contracts and administrative challenges
Authenticity, thinking long-term, flexibility and how he acquired his first client on the Ku’damm by chance
Marketing through word of mouth without using social media or a company website
Areas of responsibility of the architect and his current projects, such as the expansion of a villa in Grunewald, advising Russian and Israeli clients how to find their way through Berlin’s red tape
His consulting approach focusing on listening, understanding and responding to individual customer wishes.
His family background in a Russian-Jewish family that moved to West Berlin for political and economic reasons shortly before German reunification
Appreciation for his children and how he now devotes time to his family and especially to his children