BBJ: Tecton was founded in 1998. How has the market changed since then?

Béla Varga: Twenty-seven years is a long time. In private life, you could become a father and a grandfather. In business, you can accomplish a few cycles of dreaming, achieving, and growing. The market experienced several highs and lows, featuring well-planned growth and sudden collapses in 2008, 2020, and 2022. Everybody knows what these dates mean!

BBJ: You have been involved in a portfolio of more than 200 projects, spanning everything from cultural to educational buildings, residential, sports complexes and even a church, but the bulk of your work has been in the industrial sector. Do you see the firm as a specialist in this field?

BV: Yes, definitely. Industrial projects form the main business of Tecton. All other fields add color to our activity and reveal that we are a diverse, active team creating value in every commission we undertake. Our projects show us from different sides.

BBJ: Of those 200 reference projects, which are you most proud of, and why?

BV: All projects have their own reasons for us to be proud, and they are all our individual children. They are our brainchildren. Should I list the several factories for Samsung Electronics in Hungary and the neighboring region, which have been our growth backbone for 20 years? Or the general designer services of Duna Arena, which was a “mission impossible,” but we managed within the given time frames? Or the three design-build jobs simultaneously managed during COVID, bringing us peak revenues at a time of extreme exposure? If you ask me which of my children I am most proud of, I can hardly select. It would be unfair to all the others.

BBJ: Tecton can both design and build, as well as act as a consultant on specific areas. How does the share of workflow breakdown between design, build, design-build and consultancy?

BV: Tecton offers an individual business model to its clients in every case. Yes, there is a massive difference between a design, a design-build and a consultancy job, but what is shared in all is that we are providing a one-stop service to our clients within their preferred service range. From our aspect, it is like cooking various types of food in the same kitchen. All the various kinds of services need different resource mixes, with a changing proportion of in-house resources and external partners. One of our strengths is that our architects are socialized and trained to perform in all of the above contract models and service methods. An architect can be involved in design, professional coordination, authority and client communication, and more. We are not afraid of visiting building sites, putting on rubber boots and a hard hat. This is the job of the genuine architect in a broader and more holistic sense.

BBJ: What sets Tecton apart from your competitors? Is your ability to both design and build a project unusual, for example?

BV: It is definitely one of the unique abilities that sets us apart. Being able to offer key-ready solutions for our clients attracts a lot of attention. But there are other distinguishing points. Ours is a truly international firm; we have colleagues from five different countries and can communicate in six or seven languages in our work. Speaking Hungarian is not a “must-have” to work at Tecton, but English is. The third thing I would mention is our experience with East Asian clientele. It is not just the language; more importantly, we have a deep understanding of their mentality, expectations, and way of conducting business. This is an expertise one can only gain through many years of working closely with Korean and Chinese firms.

BBJ: You have also worked in Poland, Romania, Slovakia and even Egypt. What, if any, are the aspirations to become a regional player?

BV: We must be present where things are happening. In the years from 2006 to 2016, Tecton had several projects in the countries mentioned. In recent years, we have focused chiefly on Hungary as our country has become a sort of hub for Asian (primarily Chinese) investors. As these companies are eager to move deeper into Europe, they need a partner who can lead them through the maze of European and various local expectations and regulations. We believe that the expertise we gained in massive industrial projects in Hungary can be transferred to other countries, so, yes, I think it is time we expand our activities internationally once again.

BBJ: How do you see the design and construction market changing in Hungary and the European Union in the future?

BV: It is no secret that there are increasing challenges in our business. There is a significant shift among the key players in the “investors’ playground,” and a re-distribution in projects, target regions and locations. China is on the rise!

BBJ: What is next for Tecton?

BV: Every company has phases in its evolution; now I strongly feel it is time for “Tecton 3.0.” Tecton 1.0 was a small design firm focusing on one or two projects at the time. Tecton 2.0 was a rapid growth period, when we became a 50-plus-member mid-sized firm. What will Tecton 3.0 look like? Our mission is called F.L.A.T.: Foresee, Learn, Accomplish, Together. Our vision for 2028 is to create a new legacy.

One aspect of this, going international, I have already mentioned, but there are two other aspects I feel strongly about. Firstly, the working culture is shifting. There are new expectations, chiefly from the younger generation, for more flexibility in terms of space and time. Simultaneously, a generational change is occurring in Tecton. From these ingredients, we must “cook” a new working culture.

Secondly, there is digitalization. Tecton is already quite a tech-savvy company, but far from having completed the digital transformation. The arrival of various AI tools is turning our BIM-based workflow upside down, mostly in a positive way. I see tremendous opportunities in improving our productivity using these tools, but we must keep a cool head to select the right platforms and technologies and to avoid costly cul-de-sacs.

As we chart a deliberate course to sail into our future, we are confident in ourselves and understand that only those who deliver the best results can stay alive.

This article was first published in the Budapest Business Journal print issue of October 17, 2025.