Bika in her studio. Photography by Kyle Knodell.

Bika Rebek is a registered architect with the Architektenkammer Berlin, an educator, and the founder and principal of the architectural design firm Some Place Studio. Her practice explores how technology, materiality and processes in architecture can be rethought for social and environmental impact. Rebek has taught design studios and seminars and lectured widely, most recently at Columbia GSAPP, Yale University, the Spitzer School of Architecture and Node curatorial platform. She holds a diploma from the University of Applied Arts in Vienna and a Masters in Critical, Curatorial and Conceptual Practice from Columbia University.

7:15am: My alarm rings. Ten minutes later or so, I peel myself out of bed. I feel like a millennial meme; in 2019 I still started my day with an affogato. Now that I am forty, I have a multi-step routine to get started with my day which involves meditation, yoga, protein powder and some serious barista skills.

8:00am: Rush hour in our household! I live with my partner Severin and his seven year old daughter Frida who is with us every other week. Mornings consist of a particular choreography which culminates in each of us managing to leave the house somewhat on time.

Bika sketching. Photography by Kyle Knodell.

9:00am: I cycle to work, rain or shine. I even own plastic rain pants now. The short fifteen-minute ride from Kreuzberg takes me through Checkpoint Charlie, a famous former border crossing between East and West Berlin. I was born in Ljubljana and have lived in Vienna, New York City and now Berlin, so it feels somewhat symbolic that I cross this threshold every single day. My studio is in Mitte on Leipziger Strasse, which was part of massive housing development from the 70s. Now many artists and creatives have their studios here, including our 4000 square feet shared ground floor space.

9:15am: I get to work, where the studio is still empty at this point. I check slack and my emails and jolt into action. This is definitely my most focused time of the day so I do high pressure tasks now.

Berlin has a very different work culture from what I knew in the US. People are running their own businesses or creative enterprises and tend to work hard but on their own terms.

11:00am: I have a major presentation with a museum client in Potsdam, on Zoom. We present our designs for the first time to a new client which is always nerve wracking, but it seems to go well, and someone even cracks a joke. I check in with the rest of the team after the meeting. Sophie is based in Vienna, so l call her to debrief. Lisanne has some questions about bookkeeping.

An event at Some Place Studio’s gallery. Photography by Katie Ladd.

1:00pm: I get lunch with my friend Annabelle, who is one of the co-founders of TOMAS — Transformation of Material and Space, a radical architecture practice focusing on adaptive reuse and an expanded way to practice. We get lunch at Liu's Noodles, a buzzing Sichuan noodle place. It's greasy and delicious! We start discussing how a feminist workspace could look like. I walk away inspired and sprinkled with chili oil.

2:15pm: I’m back in the studio and go into complete crunch mode: sending rapid fire emails, giving feedback, and sketching out some ideas for the renovation of a house in Slovenia. Our process is almost entirely digital and online, but I do love to print out plans and draw on them. There is something haptic about using a pencil that nothing can quite replace for me.

Bika with friends Michelle and Shalini. Photography by Severin Matusek.

4:00pm: Usually I stay at the studio longer, but today I am picking up Frida. Being a stepmum is an interesting role. Since there is so little cultural reference for it — and what exists is mostly negative — it's a role that can be reinvented.

In our case my partner takes on the majority of the care work but I really enjoy spending time with Frida and find it inspiring to observe the world with her. It's sunny and we decide to do a little exploratory walk into nearby Victoria park. We drop leaves into the stream and watch to see how long they float.

5:15pm: We decide to spontaneously stop by my friend Michelle's house. Her daughter Aino is the same age as Frida and the kids go do their thing in the backyard. Michelle runs Studio Yukiko, a graphic design studio I admire and who created the Some Place Studio identity recently. Our friend Shalini who is an ecological planner and frequent collaborator stops by too and we co-conspire about the need for structural change in creative work and envision new ways of living and working together.

Cozy corner at home. Photography by Severin Matusek.

7:15pm: Frida and I get back to a home cooked meal. Severin is a vegetarian and great chef; I learn a lot about food and healthy eating from him. After dinner it's time to play, we put on a record by Harry Belafonte and invent a new dance choreography, before ushering Frida to bed.

8:30pm: I get some time to doomscroll, chill and do nothing. Our apartment has a cozy corner with a painting by my friend Charlotte Klobassa and a daybed that is perfect for relaxing.

9:30pm: I catch up with Severin. He also runs his own business, so there is always something going on. We often watch movies at this point, but today we just put on a record and hang out. I get a little massage because my neck feels stiff.

11:30pm: I try to go to bed earlier but it's hard for me — I don't really want the day to end! But Severin pulls me into bed and as I fall into the sheets I remember how much I love sleep. Before I realize, I am off to dreamland.

This piece has been edited and condensed for clarity.

A Day in Berlin with Bika Rebek