Friendly, thoughtful architecture across Cornwall

“Mär” means story — because every building becomes part of someone’s life. Planning and building is also a story in itself: a series of ideas, decisions and turning points that unfold over time.

I’ve worked on more than 350 buildings and projects across Falmouth and Cornwall — from the Brain of Brian floating office barge and the Jubilee Warehouse to Kimberley Park Bandstand, as well as entrance porches, garages, toilets, skate park infrastructure and numerous houses and extensions. Different scales, different budgets, different challenges — but always the same aim: to create spaces that work well for people and quietly shape everyday life.

The process can feel complex — full of requirements, technical detail and significant investment. But it doesn’t have to feel overwhelming.

When you go to a restaurant, you notice whether the space feels welcoming, whether the light is right, whether you can relax and enjoy the experience. You appreciate the depth of flavour, the careful selection of ingredients and the balance of the meal — as well as the atmosphere created by the people around you.

You’re not thinking about how the kitchen operates, how the team is organised, or the hygiene and safety regulations behind the scenes. And you certainly don’t want to feel like a contestant on MasterChef. All of that pressure belongs behind the scenes. What you should experience is clarity, comfort and confidence — knowing that if something isn’t working, it will be addressed.

Architecture should work the same way.

Behind every regulation and technical drawing is something simple: buildings are made for people. They must function well and meet requirements — but they should also offer comfort, clarity and a sense of belonging.

At mär studio, I guide projects from early ideas through to completion. Our Services include pre-purchase design advice, planning applications, building regulations packages and technical drawings, as well as support during construction.

My role is to bring clarity to the process while keeping the focus where it belongs — on creating spaces that support the way people live, work, meet and share time.

Not every project requires a full architectural service. Sometimes a design review, a feasibility check or early-stage advice is enough to bring clarity and confidence. I aim to offer the right level of support for your project — keeping things practical, transparent and proportionate.

A more safe stair design makes a garden access more frequent. Quality.

Emergency. Sweet emergency. Some people know how to bribe an architect.

Artist Studio on its way. Actually at the moment most projects are upgrades and small little spaces. Small, practical and beautiful.

Transition from Hormann Architects to Mär Studio is almost complete.
Really happy with this step — a shorter name, easier to write, and more consistent. Mär reflects my German identity through the umlaut, and the shift from H to M feels like a natural evolution.

The response has been overwhelmingly positive; any hesitation has come from people without a German connection or familiarity with the language.

Fantastic to see this construction settled into its context. A new constructed house in the middle of Falmouth. Having fabulous clients is important. Thank you to the L family and all involved.

Some other work. Where is the best Place in Cornwall for getting embroidery? I realised there is even glow in the dark one?

Lovely designing spaces which become public places to relax. Kimberley Lodge and SourceFM radio station.

No, this is not one of my projects, but a thought that came to me today. Why do so many contemporary buildings feel bland and interchangeable, as if shaped by a single, anonymous style? Walking through Falmouth, you realise that every building is different, each expressing its own character and time.

By contrast, much of today’s architecture relies on modular systems and repeatable solutions, an approach rooted in the Bauhaus and later reduced to efficiency and standardisation.

Paradoxically, the more modular and “efficient” buildings become, the more expensive they often are. What appears simple is frequently highly technical: tight tolerances, specialised components, complex regulations, long supply chains.

Efficiency promises clarity, yet delivers complexity. Standardisation replaces craft, but not at a lower cost — only at the expense of character.

And architecture is not alone. Efficiency has become a universal dogma. In shops, we scan and check out our own purchases, performing unpaid labour without any real savings in return. Everywhere, efficiency is pushed further and further, while responsibility is shifted onto the individual and experience quietly disappears.

Nature teaches us a different lesson. If nature were truly efficient or driven by greed, there would be no seasons, no excess, no diversity — and no beautiful planet. Life thrives not on optimisation alone, but on variation, rhythm, and generosity.

I hope we are moving towards a future with less fixation on efficiency and uniformity, and more room for art, ornament, and joy — in our buildings and in our lives. Not just shells, but expressions of life.

Planning Permission. Kitchen Extension in Falmouth. Mär Studio formerly Hormann Architects.

Clients sometimes ask how long I’ve been working in Cornwall and where my experience comes from, so I want to be clear about that.
I moved to Cornwall 21 years ago and worked with CAD Architects before the financial crisis of 2008. Like many at the time, I suddenly found myself unemployed.

Out of that difficult period, I founded Märraum in 2009, initially working from my flat. My landlords at the time, Myra and Brinley, were incredibly supportive and helped me more than they probably realised.
From 2009 until February 2018, I was the founding and sole supervising architect at marraum, responsible for the design and delivery of a wide range of projects across Cornwall, and the only fully qualified and registered architect within the practice during that period. I’m proud of that work and of the practice we built during those years.

After leaving Märraum, I founded my second practice, Hormann Architects. Over time, my ambitions changed. I realised I wanted to stay smaller, more focused, and personally involved in every project. There was also a practical side — many people struggled to write or remember “Hormann Architects”, and I wanted a name that felt clearer and more distinctive.

In November last year, Hormann Architects became mär studio. The name reflects both my German background — accent still included — and a deliberate, personal approach to architectural practice.

Looking ahead, my next journey will be to work towards qualification as a structural engineer on a part-time basis. Structural engineering formed part of my original studies as an engineer-architect, and deepening that knowledge feels like a natural continuation of my practice.

Today, mär studio builds on more than two decades of living and working in Cornwall, with a strong focus on clarity, authorship, responsibility — and learning that never really stops.

Planning Approval for work on a building in Truro. A lovely historic building will get back more dignity and respect. #mär #märstudio #marstudio. Formerly known as Hormann Architects. Over 30 years of construction experience. 21 years living in Cornwall. Over 350 realised projects in Cornwall. A qualified technician in civil engineering, an engineer and architect.

First planning approval as mär studio @märstudio #marstudio #mär. A Garage and or Studio in Mylor Bridge. Mär studio formerly Hormann Architects.

I am involved in completing Dunstanville Terrace, No. 27, and on my way I took a photo of No. 24.
Once three dark, damp flats, short on space, light, and air — with a central stair and a rear wall quietly inviting water in.
Now a single-family home.
The stair moved to the right-hand side, became visible through the front window, stopped blocking light and ventilation, and picked up a harbour view.
This also opened the house to the garden. The first and attic floors now enjoy both garden and sea views. Natural stonework, where possible, and original features and niches have been exposed.
Levels simplified, drainage re- and over-engineered (extra pipe added, damp gone), and an innovative timber–concrete composite floor introduced.
Historic well retained and restored — possibly even a smuggler tunnel.
A German book of poems was found during the works.
I carried out the Concept Design, Planning Application, Building Regulations, and Technical Design, as well as all inspections and site supervision.
I lived at No. 2 Stratton Place and inspected the site almost every day — these are details only the designer and supervising architect would know.
I visited the clients, E-J and N, at their home several times. The renovated house worked: it is dry, warm and functional.
These details do not appear on Marraum’s website. Photos 3, 4 and 6 are from the Marraum website.
Honesty and transparency still matter?

Around 25 years ago, in a former life, I worked for the treehouse architect Andreas Wenning. Baumraum is his company. Being included in his book was a wonderful — and entirely unexpected — surprise.

I still remember modelling complex geometric forms in AutoCAD for a competition entry. It was painstaking work, took hours to render, and tested both my patience and my belief in technology. Two of the projects I was involved in were actually built, which felt like a small miracle at the time.

What made these treehouses exceptional was that they were designed and fixed without harming the tree — no small feat when you are literally building into a living structure.

Very few designers can say they have built treehouses, alongside artist installations, a floating office barge (Brain of Brian), a bandstand in Kimberley Park, the Jubilee Warehouse, the conversion of Kimberley Lodge into a café and radio station, skatepark infrastructure and groundworks, an engine house, a boardwalk, disabled changing spaces, toilets, and a healthy number of residential extensions and buildings — of all sizes.
My smallest extension was a porch of just 2 m².

Only four years after arriving in Cornwall, following the financial crisis, I lost my job. It was too early to leave Cornwall, so with the help and support of friends I founded my own architectural practice with an unusual German name, Märraum, in Falmouth. This continued until 2018, when I left.

As a new parent with a newborn child, I then founded another architecture studio in Falmouth called Hormann Architects. Since November 2025, the work continues as Mär Studio. I just wanted a shorter name with a German identity and a German meaning.

I am an architect, engineer, and technician who moved to Cornwall in order to finally find the voice — and perhaps the courage — to properly express my architectural ideas, but also to be human and find a place to feel home.

Thank you to all the people who tolerated and respected me, who I collaborated with, and who became friends. Architecture is about People.

This was a long time ago. The photos show a shelf and partition. The idea was to create a practical bookshelf for cookbooks and a shelf to display glass bottles while creating a separation of the entrance area and the open living kitchen area. This project is the Devoran Old School conversion.
The shelf also marked a change in floor level. Because the window sills in the old school were very high, we raised the floor in some areas by 50 cm. This allowed for sill heights more typical of residential buildings. Human proportions are utterly important.
The design was a collaboration with architect Chris Hendra and the owners, Mark and his family.
I will soon create a map of all the buildings in Cornwall that I have been involved with. I have lived in Cornwall for 21 years. I worked at CAD Architects, before becoming unemployed during the financial crisis in 2008. I then solely founded Märraum 2010, delivering projects such as Brain of Brian and the Jubilee Warehouse, using Vectorworks. I left Marraum in 2018 and started again as Hormann Architects, and I am now Mär Studio.
I have left a trail of interesting buildings and designs in Cornwall, and, more importantly, many friendships.

Many people have been involved. Around 15 projects were completed this year. The images span different periods and stages of our work.

Attic Conversion in Falmouth. Nothing special. I helped to refine the design and provided construction drawings. It works. Mär Studio formerly Hormann Architects.

Planning Approval for a cafe / restaurant in the Greenbank Gardens. Mär Studio formerly Hormann Architects

Stories - Spaces - Technician - Engineer - Architect.

She is sliding, she is sliding…… latest projects of a Kitchen extension in Falmouth.

Kimberley Lodge Cafe and Radio Recording Studio. Completed in 2025

Xmas feeling in Penzance @45queenstreet.
It’s strange, but this old workshop garage feels more homely than many modern designed spaces. The light and the honesty of the place – the way it embraces its past – give it a special atmosphere.
In contrast, the modern kitchen shows the recent changes. Yet even there, the huge extraction hood and the exposed pipes remain visible. They look good, confident, and remind you how much work goes into cooking.
And finally, the food and the people working there. For anyone who loves good food, Penzance, and a friendly, honest environment, this is a place worth visiting.

Birthday in the Office. Not ideal but still a nice day. And I got a free shower.

I know I have done something good. The Re-Source Project, Kimberley Park Lodge. I have supported it with £10k of my work and time working on the design and submitting the planning application pro bono. I have to mention it was team work and the design by Henrietta Boex. We have so many talented and community minded people in Falmouth. And let’s not forget I worked and helped to make the skatepark in Dracaena become reality. That there is a skatepark is must important.

Small extension to create a light flooded garden room with a view of the old beautiful garden wall. And of course there is a little path for the garden. Klein aber fine. Just ask for Mär Studio in Falmouth.

Mär Studio
Because even architecture deserves a good Umlaut.
People often ask me why my studio is called Mär — and why I insist on keeping the little dots above the “a”.
Let’s be honest: to many English speakers, the Umlaut looks like a stylish hat for a vowel.
But it’s more than decoration. Much more.
If you ever listened to Simon Mayo on Radio 2 a few years ago, you may remember his brilliant segments about Umlaute — those two tiny dots that magically transform a perfectly innocent “a” into a whole new sound. A different personality, even.
The Umlaut isn’t just punctuation. It’s a statement.
It’s travelled far, too. Heavy metal bands use it for instant attitude — Mötley Crüe, Motörhead — because nothing screams rock’n’roll like an aggressive vowel.
Even ice cream brands get in on it: Mövenpick, Häagen-Dazs (which, fun fact, isn’t even real Danish or German — they just wanted to sound deliciously European).
In English, Umlaute tend to fall off — mine stays stubbornly in place.
And in my own world of construction and engineering, German brands proudly carry their dots for everyone to see: Kärcher, Würth, and Hörmann (the doors, not me — my surname is Hormann without the Umlaut… but close enough!).
For me, the Umlaut in Mär is not decoration.
It’s my small but determined way of saying:
“Yes, I am German.
No, the dots are not optional.
And yes, they matter.”
Those two dots stand for engineering logic, clarity, craftsmanship and a hint of stubbornness — the good kind.
My name is Hormann (no Umlaut),
but my studio proudly carries one, because it represents the culture I come from and the place Cornwall has become for me.

So as Hormann Architects I was H plus Umlaut — and as Mär Studio I am M plus Umlaut.

The Kimberley Lodge public café and radio station project reflects my approach as an architect, engineer and designer. The building is modest and respectful of the existing historic structure while bringing new life and purpose into it. It is not an architectural “look at me” project. The real complexity lay in merging a café, a radio station and professional recording facilities into one coherent building.
This outcome was the result of teamwork. I collaborated closely with everyone involved, offering support wherever needed, and we helped each other throughout the process. I completed the planning application and design work pro bono — a contribution of around £10,000 — because I believe in Falmouth and its community, and I consider myself part of it.

My practice carries a German name — Mär Studio — with the Umlaut “ä” intentionally included as a clear reference to my German heritage. Although my own surname is Hormann, without an Umlaut, the name Mär Studio expresses the cultural and linguistic roots that shape my engineering-led approach to architecture. At the same time, I have lived and worked in Cornwall for over 20 years, and I am part of the local community. And my choir helped me sustain the project and overcome stressful challenges. Thank you men!

If you are looking for an architect with integrity and a proven track record — including the Brain of Brian barge in Penryn, Jubilee Warehouse in Penryn, which I completed when I was the sole founder of Märraum, the Kimberley Park bandstand, as well as numerous houses and community projects — feel free to email me or meet me on Killigrew Street.

#MärStudio
#ArchitectHormann
#GermanPrecision
#EngineeringLedArchitecture
#CornwallArchitect
#FalmouthArchitecture
#CommunityDrivenDesign
#HistoricBuildingReuse
#CulturalHeritageDesign
#AdaptiveReuse
#SustainableArchitecture
#QualityAndIntegrity
#ArchitecturalCraft
#CornishCommunityProjects
#designwithpurpose
#menaresinging
#kimberleylodgecafe

Being part of this amazing ensemble I have to advertise our record and film. Architect is a title and I am just a normal person.

Men are singing trailer on my screen tomorrow

My life outside architecture: men are singing or many men soundsystem. This choir has helped me so much.
Thank you, Seamas. Thank you Ben. Thank you, Men.
I’ve learned so much, and I’ve had such a special time with my child.
In my own childhood my parents were often away, so sharing this experience with her means even more to me.
She was even my little assistant — she knows all the lyrics better than I do!
And today, ‘Monkey’ was singing in her school choir at Healeys Cider Farm.

Extension of a kitchen to replace a conservatory.

Please go and visit @lowenaflowers on Killigrew Street. I’m lucky to have them as neighbours — my office basically has free aromatherapy every week.
What does this have to do with architecture?
Everything. Architecture is about senses, atmosphere and joy. Fresh flowers do it with petals… architects do it with walls, windows and the occasional planning application. And don’t forget the Killigrew street has many independent shops, cafes…..architects and designers…….

Having a neighbourhood of people who care and help is what is really fantastic. Sometimes times can be a challenge. A lovely thank you to @lowenaflowers. And to @espressini . Love your hood. And timber cladding sample.

A small wonderful space. Light, comfort, hygge, Gemütlichkeit, Penryn. Small space massive change. A German architect Falmouth and Penryn. Do you want Mär?

If it bothers you that an architect sometimes shares photos of coffee, the beach, or ice cream, then I apologise. I am currently working on several projects that I cannot publish yet. And although I often work late into the night to complete projects and two planning applications, I also need moments to relax.
I’ve had very successful and wealthy clients who suddenly dropped dead —

Do you realise that excessive stress and cortisol are genuinely harmful to health and can shorten your life expectancy by up to ten years?

I believe I am successful not because I am wealthy, but because my work is honest, good, and community-minded. And one of the wonderful things about living in Falmouth is that wherever I go, I meet people I know. And that is gold.

“One more observation the beach is back. The beach is back at castle beach. Amazing.

@castlebeachfalmouth #thefalmouthhotel #beach #sand #microplastic #sun #seagulls #relax #foreverchemicals #light #sun #sound #waves #people #dogs #flies #sewage #fun

Enjoying my morning routine at @espressini.
Falmouth simply has too many great places — I’m sure I’ve forgotten half of them. Some of my favourites:
@stonesbakeryhq @abovethebookshop @sandysdeli_falmouth @thelodgefalmouth @castlebeachfalmouth @diehappypizza @freeriderssurf @lowenaflowers @themothandthemoonfalmouth @cornishbank @thechintzbar @verdant_seaviewinn @darkponycoffee @skatefalmouth @polyfalmouth @goodvibescafefalmouth @nude.canteen @the.piercafe @provedore @situcafe @jacobsladderfalmouth @stargazycucina @potager_garden @sula.brunch.house @45queenstreet @theroyalstandardpub @foodbarn.tregew @mayasfalmouth
@thefalmouthhotel And probably many more I’ve missed.

If you’d like to chat with an architect: Espressini or The Lodge are perfect spots for an informal meeting as they are close to the office.

Too much crème. No, never. I need the most fluffy treatment. When life is stressful and not everyone likes your new business appearance I recommend a waffle at Kimberley Lodge as the treatment. Thank you for the special treatment.

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@marstudio.uk

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Spaces
Stories
Engineer
Architect

mär

studio

01326 761 290

mär studio

formerly Hormann Architects

Spaces Stories Engineer Architect

mär

studio

01326 761 290

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Spaces
Stories
Engineer
Architect