Premium Programme EDLAB 2020
Maastricht University of Business and Economics

The honors programme “PREMIUM” at Maastricht University brings together high-performing master’s students from different disciplines with real-world challenges from business, society, and public life. The aim of the programme is not solely the theoretical processing of tasks, but the development of interdisciplinary solutions in direct collaboration with practice partners.

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-quality design and architecture brand could be developed using the example of the “Felix Schwake” brand.

The focus was not on conventional marketing communication, but on the fundamental question of how a design attitude can be conveyed 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 collaboration also made clear that high-quality design does not function through visibility or staging alone. What matters is continuity, material awareness, spatial quality, and a coherent design attitude. Particularly in the field of high-end architecture and functional art, trust is built over time through consistency and authenticity.

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