Premium Programme EDLAB 2019
Maastricht University of Business and Economics

The honors programme “PREMIUM” at Maastricht University brings together high-performing master’s students from different disciplines to work on real-world challenges from business and society. The aim of the programme is to develop interdisciplinary solutions under academic mentorship and to connect academic work with practical responsibility.

Within the programme, students Kriti, Carolin, Paloma, and Ruben explored over the course of one semester how a long-term distribution concept for a high-end architecture and design brand could be developed using the example of the “Felix Schwake” brand.

The collaboration did not focus on conventional product marketing, but rather on the fundamental question of how a design attitude can be communicated in a credible way. Architecture, interior design, and functional art were not understood as isolated products, but as expressions of a coherent spatial and cultural position.

The work made clear that high-quality design cannot be communicated solely through visibility or short-term attention. What matters is continuity, material awareness, spatial quality, and a coherent attitude toward architecture and design. Particularly in the field of high-end architecture and functional art, trust emerges over time through authenticity and consistency.

The project was supervised by mentor Sabine Nievelstein. In addition to the project work, the students received individual coaching and workshops within the Maastricht University PREMIUM programme, supporting both academic and personal development.

For the participating students as well as for the team of Felix Schwake, the project resulted in an intensive exchange on design, perception, communication, and the question of how architectural attitudes can be conveyed in different cultural and economic contexts.