Lutz
Haufschild was born in 1943 and grew up in Hanover Germany. After high
school attended the Advanced Institute of Art and Technology Graduated
in 1967. Originally he wanted to become an architect but in Germany
architects first study engineering which was not Haufschild’s
strength.
Therefore he focused on art. To pay for school he made stained glass
windows for private homes. (Elford)
He came to Canada in 1967 after graduation.
Great
influences – Travel! As a student he traveled to France and
met Marc
Chagall and while working in Jerusalem met Le Corbusier. In 1973 he
applied to the Canada Council and received funding for a year of travel
1973-74. He visited 35 countries including Iran, Mexico, Indonesia,
India, Greece and Spain. (Russ)
Upon returning he built his “dream studio” in
Whistler BC. One year later his studio/home was lost in a fire.
But
the roller coaster ride wasn’t over, he survived the
devastation of
loosing everything to then being commissioned to design a skylight for
the Coquitlam Centre Mall in 1979. It was 114 meters (380 feet long!)
titled the “River of Light.”
Shortly after he received a commission for the Benedictine Monastery in Mission BC. This huge project launched his career and nothing, not even the client, stood in the way of the vision Haufschild had for the space. The colour interpretation of the four elements in dalle de verre glass was a huge project which in the end the advisors were certain that the "Four Elements" was exactly what they had wanted. (Elford)
Haufschild as an artist has a way of listening to the client, taking in their thoughts about what they think "should" be created and then convincing them that his idea is what they actually wanted. Haufschild talks to the client in such a way that they become convinced that the end result was their idea, or that what they had suggested would never have worked in the space. Thus resulting in Haufschild doing exactly what he wants with the client's support.
During a telephone interview Haufschild said, “I push people. I can see more than they see. They don’t have the background I have. I’m sure they are excellent in their field. I tell young artists ‘you are the expert. You are there to listen and to understand what the architecture requires and then advise the client’.”