One Year of alma:s Architekten — Our AI Assistant Asked, We Answered

For the first anniversary of alma:s Architekten Lopez Jibrel PartG mbB, our AI assistant BOB sat us down for a real interview — about feelings, hurdles, and reflections from our first year as self-employed architects. The answers are unedited. Just as we are.

The moment a year ago

When we left the notary’s office in Frankfurt last October, we stood on the sidewalk and looked at each other. Adoul said: “Damn, now we have a company.” Then: “Congratulations, partner.” And Jorge: “Congratulations, partner.” A handshake. That was the beginning of alma:s Architekten.

What came afterwards was not a straight road. It was a year full of moments we hadn’t expected quite like this — neither the good ones nor the hard ones. On the occasion of our first anniversary, our AI assistant BOB asked us eight questions, the kind you know from documentaries and interviews. Personal questions. Questions we rarely ask each other, even though we work together every day — and live together too.

Here are our answers.

“Wow, we finally did it.” — On the first moment

BOB asked: What was the very first thought when you left the notary’s office?

Jorge: It was definitely a very special moment — with a lot of joy, a lot of excitement, a lot of adrenaline, above all in the heart. The first thought was: we’re building our little empire. We’ll build many beautiful houses, many beautiful buildings. We’ll make people happy. And we’ll finally do everything with joy, every single day.

Adoul: I remember stepping out and thinking: Damn, now we really have a company.

Then we laughed. And shook hands.

“No matter how dark the day looked — the sun still comes out in the end.” — On the hardest moments

BOB asked: What was the toughest week, and how did you pull each other through it?

Jorge: You plan going self-employed long in advance. You think you know the risks. But when the moment actually comes — when the week really is that hard — you’re surprised anyway. You doubt yourself. Whether you’ve learned enough. Whether you’re making the right decisions. But in the end these are all problems you can solve — with conversations, with talking, with a clear conscience. The most important thing is to never lose your optimism.

Adoul: No matter how much you prepare in your head: reality always shows you different moments. When one of us fell, the other picked them up and got them back on their feet. For that I’m grateful for this partnership. Truly.

“The first commission from someone who didn’t know us.” — On the proudest moment

BOB asked: When did you look at each other and think: yes, this is exactly why we did it?

Adoul: Two moments come to mind immediately. First: the first commission without a referral from someone we knew — from someone who was simply looking for an architect and found us. That was a very proud moment. And second: the Long Table of Building Culture. A goal we had set ourselves, that we achieved, and for which we still receive nothing but positive feedback.

Jorge: The Long Table — we built that up, just the two of us. We did everything ourselves. And when the guests arrived, when you saw how this format was embraced, it was a feeling of happiness I can’t describe. Just like that moment when someone realises after the first conversation that we truly understood them — and hires us. And then something we almost forgot: the day we set up our office. When the furniture was in place, the decoration, the colours. An empty space suddenly becomes a place. I walk into that office every day with joy — no matter how difficult the day is going to be.

“This year brought us more closeness than the last six years together.” — On partnership

BOB asked: You’re not just office partners, you’ve known each other a long time and live together. How has your relationship changed?

Adoul: Working together is a different level from living together. You have to approach the other person not only with love, but always with respect too — even when you disagree, even when you don’t immediately understand the other’s way of working. This year brought us closer than the last six years in which we’ve known each other. Through this contact, almost twenty-four hours a day.

Jorge: It isn’t always easy. We don’t always agree. But at the end of the day we laughed about everything — about our decisions, about the difficulties. The most beautiful thing is: we’re going in the same direction. We can speak openly with each other. And we try to truly understand the other, even when we can’t in that moment. I’ve also learned to appreciate small distances — not because I don’t want to see my partner, but because in those moments I’m more focused. I used to have a lot of time for myself that I used less well. Now I use that time deliberately.

Adoul: You learn more about the quality of time. You ask yourself: for whom and for what is this time? For yourself personally? For the two of us? For the work? That was never so conscious before.

“You’re self-employed — and just as the title says: you need no one but your gut feeling.” — On what we’d tell our selves of a year ago

BOB asked: What would you say to the Adoul and Jorge of a year ago?

Jorge: What I didn’t know back then: how difficult it is to become known as a practice when you’re new as a brand. How hard it is to get to projects when no one knows you. All of it — bookkeeping, costs, client acquisition — takes so much time, you really can’t imagine it beforehand.

Adoul: I wouldn’t do everything differently. The same mistakes, yes — but handle them more wisely. In the beginning I still had this idea that there are real mentors, people you can rely on. That expectation sometimes disappointed me. Today I say: you’re self-employed. You go with your gut feeling. Mistakes are part of it — without them you don’t learn. And the one thing I wish for: always have courage. Never be afraid. Jump — even if you fall into a hole, you’ll get back up again.

“A place for architecture, discourse, encounter — a salon in the heart of Frankfurt.” — On the vision

BOB asked: What should alma:s be in five years?

Adoul: alma:s is our child. One year old now. I hope that in five years it’s more than an office that draws plans. I want alma:s to be a place — for architecture, for energy consulting, for conversations. An interdisciplinary, multi-diverse salon. A creative place where different people come together.

Jorge: alma:s means soul to us — and diamond. Valuable not at any price, but because of the people, because of the passion, because of what we do. Architecture isn’t a service for us — it’s a passion. In five years I want people to know what they get from us: architects who listen, who take problems seriously, who do everything — no matter what. I wish for our first employees. Projects not only for private clients, but also for public ones. And the alma:s coffee — with a really good espresso. ☕

“I’ve learned to believe in myself.” — On the unexpected

BOB asked: What did this year give you that you hadn’t counted on at all?

Jorge: Reflection. I’ve learned to quiet the doubts — not by suppressing them, but through insight. I have enough knowledge. My decisions carry weight. I’ve come far enough. That sounds simple, but truly internalising it took me this whole year. And I’ve learned: self-employment also means freedom. Not working ten hours every day, but sometimes three — and then going into the city, observing architecture, taking a little trip. That’s what makes this self-employment so special.

Adoul: I’ve learned to return to my original self. Free from fear. Positive. Getting up every morning, not being nervous, walking through the wall — and realising in the end: it wasn’t that hard after all. That’s something I’m still working on. But I’m closer to it than a year ago.

A wish for the second year

BOB asked: Not the plan — the wish.

Jorge: Exciting, thrilling projects. And more travel.

Adoul: More commissions. Work is never a hurdle — work is a blessing. My mother always told me that, my grandmother always told me that. And I believe in it, as long as you do it with all your heart.

Jorge: And more honest people. People who truly support you. Who believe in you.

Thank you

This first year belongs to everyone who walked with us — our first clients, our companions, the Bundesstiftung Baukultur, the team at Rimini Barbershop, the HfG Offenbach, and everyone who believed in the Long Table of Building Culture.

alma:s is one year old. We’re growing. With attitude, with heart — and with joy in what we do every single day.

— Jorge Lopez & Adoul Jibrel, alma:s Architekten Frankfurt, October 2026

Do you have questions about our work, about conversions, renovations, or changes of use in the Rhine-Main region? Get in touch — we look forward to the conversation.