Miriam is an interdisciplinary designer based in The Hague. She merges architecture, sensory experience, and anthropology to create meaningful encounters that engage with diverse contexts. Her work spans a range of typologies, including architectural concepts, product development, exhibitions, audio—visual works, as well as design consultancy and research.
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ME:
AI:
AI:
What is your favorite smell?
I don't have a sense of smell, but I imagine that fresh rain on soil, known as petrichor, would be a favorite.
I don't have a sense of smell, but I imagine that fresh rain on soil, known as petrichor, would be a favorite.
Miriam Reihls design practice explores social contexts and encounters, while intersecting architecture, sensory experience, and anthropology, crafting designs that resonate with the context and body.
The practice embraces an interdisciplinary approach that leads to a wide range of typologies, such as architectural and conceptual design, product development, exhibition and audio-visual works, as well as design consultancy and research. Miriam pays close attention to how environments feel, how they transform, and how they interact with the human body. Her work is grounded in a deep commitment to social contexts, empathy and sensorial perception. She uses ethnographic research to understand the needs of diverse communities, allowing her to create environments that truly reflect the essence of those who inhabit them. Her spaces and objects go beyond mere functionality, they are designed to engage the senses, foster emotional connections, and look ahead to the future.
She believes that real life is reflected in the traces left by use, what sets lived-in spaces apart from showrooms or non-places. She leaves room for user participation and creation, selecting materials that can carry the marks of use and patina. Her goal is to foster meaningful connections between people and their environments by creating spaces that feel alive, human, and full of purpose.
Miriam’s work has earned her notable accolades, including the prestigious Red Dot Design Award and prizes from the Association of German Interior Architects (BDIA) and the Association of German Architects (BDA). Her innovative approach was further acknowledged with a nomination for the German Design Award Newcomer 2022. Additionally, she won competitions in furniture and architecture and received a grant from the state of Saxony-Anhalt for her self-initiated project Smells of Trust.
CURRICULUM VITAE
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
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Grant for Graduates
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Grant for Graduates
by Burg Giebichenstein University
of Art and Design Halle
Red Dot Design Award
for VARIO M1–Rahmen
bdia ausgesucht!
for VARIO M1–Rahmen by BDIA
(association of german interior architects)
German Design Award nominee 2019
Konrad Wachsmann Study Prize
recognition award by BDA
(association of german architects)
Pimp my M1!
design competition by VARIO BüroEinrichtungen
Neue Arbeitswelten
design competition by EVH.SWH and Designhaus Halle
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