Patrick John Buchecker

How long have you been working for Dobas AG?

I've been working for Dobas since January 2007.

Where did your professional journey take you prior to your current position?

From 1991 to 1994, I studied industrial design at the ArtCenter College of Design in La Tour-de-Peilz, in Switzerland, and Pasadena, California,  where I earned a bachelor’s degree. In 1999, I acquired a Swiss Federal Diploma of higher vocational education as a marketing planner. From 1995 to 1999, I co-owned a design agency in Zurich, where I mainly designed trade fair booths and retail spaces. Afterwards, I worked for two years in the areas of furniture development and furniture trade for the European market. Before coming to Dobas, I worked as an interior designer in the retail sector and on international trade fair projects. 

What are the main tasks that make up your daily work routine?

I’m in charge of the company’s strategy and operations, and I oversee customer relationship management. I also contribute to concepts and to the development of projects. Developing visions is part of my function as CEO, too. 

How do you stay informed and, more importantly, inspired?

I regularly read professional journals in the areas of fashion, design and architecture. Travelling also helps me broaden my horizons.

What materials make your senses tingle?

Generally speaking, a material has to appeal to all my senses. I’m most fascinated by materials that are not purely industrially produced; that still show the human factor. I’m equally excited by the idea of using existing materials in new applications thanks to a new processing method or composition.

What is lying around your desk that might seem unnecessary to others but is important to you and your motiviation?

The moon rocket from «Destination Moon», one of the «The Adventures of Tintin» books.

What building and/or space has left a particularly lasting impression on you and why?

I am moved by countless buildings, some well-known and some lesser known, simply for their formal language: because they are stubborn, surprising and aesthetically pleasing. It’s impossible for me to decide! So I’m choosing a building that has been unfinished since before my birth: in 1882, Antoni Gaudí lay the cornerstone for the Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família and it is still being built today. Aesthetics are always debatable, especially when a building, such as this one, has been shaped by various architects and eras. But the structural concept, which uses gravity in the opposite direction, is indisputable. Models on display in the building’s museum demonstrate the concept well. I also enjoy Gaudí’s finished works. They exude a joie de vivre and lightheartedness while challenging the viewer’s eye – qualities that many contemporary buildings do not come close to possessing.

What fills you with joy and pride in your professional life?

One thing that comes to mind is the feeling I get when our team is working very well together and everybody wants to achieve the same goal.

What brings you joy in your personal life?

It’s a gift to see our sons growing up, to be there for them through the highs and lows, and to help them as they find their way into the professional world.