Reaching the halfway point of my Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs program was a good time to pause and reflect on what has happened so far. After the initial excitement of arriving in Berlin and the beginning of this new experience, I now feel the journey is becoming increasingly concrete, structured, and meaningful.
Working alongside Stefanie in her architecture firm has allowed me to move beyond first impressions and truly understand how a firm operates on a day-to-day basis. As the weeks passed, I felt increasingly involved in project discussions, client relationships, and the firm’s strategic decisions, gaining greater confidence in contributing my own perspective. From revising the firm’s website and communications, considering how to make them more effective to attract new clients and potential investors, to participating in meetings with demanding clients where we had to negotiate and reconsider certain design decisions, I am developing a clearer vision of what it means to run an architecture firm, not only from a creative but also an entrepreneurial perspective.
One of the most valuable aspects of this experience is observing how Stefanie balances design vision, pragmatism, and communication. I’m learning that architecture isn’t just about drawing and technique, but above all about people, trust, and dialogue. Some situations haven’t been easy, especially when differing points of view emerge within the studio or when client expectations must be carefully managed. These moments, however, have proven crucial to my growth, teaching me the importance of staying calm, remaining open to discussion, and focusing on long-term goals.
On a personal level, living in Germany again is also having a profound impact. Returning to a country I had already explored during my Erasmus+ program at university gives me a sense of familiarity, but today I experience it with a different, more mature and professional awareness. I’m gradually improving my language skills and feeling increasingly part of everyday life; for this reason, I’ve decided to definitely take a language course to further deepen my skills and communicate with greater confidence, both professionally and personally.
At this point in the process, I don’t feel the need to radically change the direction of the project, but I feel encouraged to be increasingly proactive and confident in pursuing my ideas. This experience is confirming my desire to build an architecture firm that combines sustainable design, clear communication, and strong professional relationships. I’m approaching the second half of the exchange with enthusiasm and a desire to transform what I’ve learned so far into concrete tools that I can take with me beyond the program.