The well-rehearsed core of Pudelskern consists of Nina Mair, Georg Öhler and Horst Philipp, a team of architects and designers rooted in handcrafts. Technical knowledge and research, telling stories and intriguing designs are the pillars of Pudelskern‘s design philosophy. Natural material, sustainable production and different stories flow into the objects of Pudelskern. The designers themselves subsume their ability to combine those ingredients into products under the title of ‚Narrative design‘.

Pudelskern has its office in the picturesque old town of Innsbruck - surrounded by the high mountains of the European Alps. The influence of traditions, a rough landscape and a rich rural culture can be found in some of the works. The regional rooting is not a geographical bonding but rather a source of inspirations for the internationally oriented studio. The office is located at a former soap manufactory with a 300 year old history.

Pudelskern refers to a quote from Goethe‘s drama Faust: the first part of the tragedy. Though the main character Heinrich Faust successfully gained knowledge on his quest for the essence of life, he is still unsatisfied: 
Here now I stand, poor fool, and see
I‘m just as wise as formerly.
When he meets the devil he makes a deal trading his soul for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures. The devil approaches Faust in disguise of a poodle, revealing his true character only later. Goethe‘s quote on the revelation of the poodle, Das ist also des Pudels Kern, entered German language meaning to find the core of a thing - the gist of the matter.

Founded 2006 in Innsbruck

Team
Nina Mair, architect, studied in Innsbruck, Florence, speaks German, English, Italian
Georg Öhler, architect, studied in Innsbruck, Madrid, speaks German, English, Spanish
Horst Philipp, designer and cabinet maker, speaks German, English

Exhibitions
Junges Design, Stadtgalerie Schwaz, Austria, 2007
Extreme Building, Birmingham, United Kingdom, 2007
Salone del Mobile, Milan, Italy, 2008
“Grown Furniture”, Salone del Mobile, Milan, Italy, 2009
Andechsgalerie, Innsbruck, Austria 2009
Ceci n’est pas un hotel, NHOW Hotel Milan, Italy, 2009
Lodz Design Festival, Lodz, Poland, 2009
Maison & Objet, Granny for Casamania, Paris, France, 2010
“Design Scapes”, Salone del Mobile, Milan, Italy, 2010
Mint, London Design Festival, London, UK, 2010
Formationen, Design in Tirol, Innsbruck, Austria, 2010
Design Attack, Gallery Bunkier Sztuki, Kraków, Poland, 2010
Designers’ Saturday, Langenthal, Switzerland, 2010
Museum: Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg, permanent
Museum: Bellerive Zürich 2011
Design Vision Austria, Galvanotecnica Bugatti, Milan 2011
Stepevi Showroom, Milan 2011

Products on sale
Infusion “O” rug , www.Stepevi.com
Mrs Robinson, Mint, www.mintshop.co.uk
Saddler, Mint, www.mintshop.co.uk
Granny, Casamania, www.casamania.it
Fat Sheep, Regensburger, www.regensburger.eu
Woozily, M&L Lichttechnik, www.lichttechnik.cc
Morse, M&L Lichttechnik, www.lichttechnik.cc
Calla, KWS, www.kws.at

University teaching
University for art and industrial design Linz: Narrative Design, 2010.
University of Innsbruck, Institute for Experimental Architecture, head of institute Prof. P. Schumacher: Design basics in architecture, since 2010 on-going
University for art and industrial design Linz: GLOBAL STORY WORKSHOP, www.maiworkshop.jimdo.com