Simon VBK has over 15 years of experience in the field, especially design development, and his work is renowned for its creativity, innovation, and exceptional attention to detail. For engineering needs, he typically works with trusted engineering consultants. This allows ONTIC SPACE to provide clients with a comprehensive range of services, while ensuring that the engineering aspects of each project are handled by experts. If construction management is required for larger scale projects, a separate construction management firm is usually employed. This allows Simon VBK to focus on what he does best, designing and documenting extraordinary buildings. We believe that the best architecture is created when the client/owner, architect, and engineers work together closely.
ONTIC SPACE is committed to providing clients with the highest level of service and expertise and exceeding expectations.

Simon VBK (Volker Braun-Kolbe), owner of ONTIC SPACE, is a licensed architect since 2009, is registered in the State of New York as well as the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and is certified by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB).
Simon has worked in the field of architecture in different capacities and has design experience in a wide range of projects from large K-12 projects to small-scale residential work. After graduating from the University of Würzburg in Germany with a Master of Arts in Philosophy, Physics/Astronomy, and History of Religion in 2002, he started his architectural career with a Master Degree in 2007 from the University at Buffalo, where he received The AIA School Medal and The Certificate of Merit for his outstanding academic success. That same year, he published his work in design theory, Ontic Space.
During his time with Cannon Design, Simon was involved primarily in various school projects, ranging from smaller renovations in the Clarence School District to large-scale projects like the new campus of the Ave Maria University in Florida. After getting licensed as an architect in Massachusetts in 2009, he worked independently as a design consultant, focusing on small residential projects, helping clients find unique and modern solutions to common renovation and remodeling challenges.
Finally, before founding ONTIC SPACE, Simon was working for Tommaso Briatico Architects, where he brought his design expertise as well as sense for high-quality solutions to the team while gaining further experience in commercial projects, the handling of permit requirements, and a large variety of residential works.

Simon VBK with Peter Zumthor during a studio review at the School of Architecture and Planning, University at Buffalo

Simon also participated in multiple architectural competitions, being the third-place winner of the Fifth Annual National Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute Architectural Design Competition, and the first-place winner of the Pella Competition Scholarship Program, both in 2006. In 2009, Simon was a co-organizer and jury member of the McKinley House Design Competition, organized by the AIA Buffalo/WNY. In the following year, 2010, he acted as a jury member for the West Virginia AIA Design Awards.