Success Stories
Blumer Lehmann: How Swiss Timber Engineering Found Its Place in Korea
Mehmet Kale, Creative Technology Manager
Jun 23, 2026
Swiss timber specialist Blumer Lehmann grew its Korean presence project by project – with support from the Swiss Business Hub.
For Blumer Lehmann, international expansion has never been driven by market checklists or predefined roadmaps. Instead, the company's global footprint has grown project by project – shaped by architectural vision, technical curiosity, and the willingness to engage with complexity far beyond familiar borders. Korea is a prime example of this journey: a market entered not by strategy, but by opportunity, and developed over time through trust, persistence, and shared ambition.
Korea was not a strategic target market for us at the beginning. We didn't decide one day that we wanted to enter Asia. It started with a project.
Martin Looser-Frey
Division Manager Timber Construction | Free Form | International, Blumer LehmannAn architectural invitation to Korea
Blumer Lehmann's journey in Korea began in 2007, when renowned Japanese architect Shigeru Ban (Pritzker Prize 2014) approached the Swiss timber specialist with an ambitious idea: a large golf clubhouse for a private resort, featuring a complex Free Form timber roof structure.
"He was convinced that we were the right timber construction builders to realise this kind of structure," Martin recalls.
At the time, the conditions were far from easy. Timelines were tight, local standards unfamiliar, and Blumer Lehmann itself was still building up its capabilities in Free Form construction. New machinery and software had to be sourced specifically for the project.
"But that challenge added a certain intensity to the story," Martin says. "It was demanding, but we were very well received in Korea. That experience really stayed with us."
The successful delivery of the project laid the foundation for further assignments in the country and gave Blumer Lehmann the confidence to pursue similarly complex builds abroad.
Integrated expertise – from sketch to structure
What distinguishes Blumer Lehmann internationally is its integrated approach. The company combines in-house project development, geometric design, timber engineering, production, and assembly expertise, enabling it to translate complex architectural ideas into buildable timber structures.
"We are not design architects ourselves," Martin explains. "But we translate architectural design into something that can actually be built in timber. That transformation – from idea to structure – happens in-house with our own architects, timber engineers and timber construction specialists."
In Free Form timber construction, where many projects are effectively prototypes, this end-to-end responsibility is crucial. Clients and architects often embark on such builds for the first time and seek partners who can carry both the technical complexity and the execution risk.
Each international project remains a leap into the unknown. Regulations differ, approval processes vary, and timber construction frequently raises additional questions around fire protection and structural safety.
"There are moments in a project where you ask yourself: should we really do this?" Martin admits. "You're in a country where you don't know all the regulations yet, you're working with authorities for the first time, and the pressure is high."
The reward comes at the end.
"When the building finally stands there, in its uniqueness," he says. "You realise that something that felt almost impossible actually worked. That makes us proud."
Pocheon Golf Resort Club House, Korea (Copyright
http://timeofblue.com/en/)
An unexpected first touchpoint during the pandemic
Although Blumer Lehmann had already completed projects in Korea, the COVID-19 pandemic marked the company's first direct interaction with Switzerland Global Enterprise. When borders closed and regulations changed almost weekly, reliable information became critical.
During this uncertain period, Blumer Lehmann reached out to the Swiss Business Hub Korea for local guidance on entry conditions, quarantine rules, and on-site requirements, as they were involved in the Pocheon Golf Club House project. Through close coordination with the Swiss Embassy in Seoul, SBH Korea helped clarify what was possible – and what was not – at a time when even local authorities were still adjusting to new procedures.
"There were many open questions," Martin recalls. "Can we enter the country? Under what conditions? How long can we stay? Even when you arrived, things could change suddenly."
The experience was intense. Upon arrival in Seoul, project team members were taken directly into quarantine, tested again on site, and monitored via local health applications.
Despite the uncertainty, the Pocheon Golf Club House project went ahead – reinforcing the importance of having access to trusted local insight when operating far from home. In this case, the Swiss Business Hub Korea provided an important point of orientation during a highly unpredictable period.
A natural setting to reconnect
As Korea gradually reopened, Blumer Lehmann decided not just to wait for projects to resume, but to actively reconnect with the local architectural community. Together with the Swiss Business Hub Korea and the Swiss Embassy in Seoul, the company organised a targeted stakeholder event at the Swiss Embassy in Seoul in November 2024.
The venue could hardly have been more fitting. The Swiss Embassy in Seoul is itself a timber building – a rare and powerful statement in a market long dominated by concrete and steel. For Blumer Lehmann, whose expertise lies in advanced timber structures, the setting provided an immediate and tangible conversation starter.
"The building itself already tells a story," Martin notes. "You don't have to explain why timber matters – you can simply point to it."
The Swiss Business Hub Korea supported Blumer Lehmann in identifying and inviting key stakeholders from the architectural and engineering community, while the Embassy provided a trusted and highly credible platform. The diplomatic setting, combined with the material authenticity of the building, helped move conversations quickly beyond introductions.
The event acted as a reactivation moment after years of limited physical presence. Architects and engineers were able to reconnect face-to-face, discuss projects in a concrete setting, and rediscover Swiss timber expertise in a very literal sense. Since then, several discussions have resumed, with new opportunities currently under evaluation.
Swiss Embassy Seoul (event venue)
Lessons from Korea
Looking back, Martin sees Korea as a demanding but rewarding market. Cultural differences were rarely a barrier.
"We were always very welcome," he says. "Our Korean partners are open and professional. You just have to understand that trust takes time, and that people don't always communicate as directly as we do."
The greater challenges lay in regulation and certification – particularly in timber construction, where local experience is still developing.
"In the end, every country is a learning process," Martin reflects. "You need patience, good partners, and people who understand both sides."
His advice to other Swiss companies considering international expansion is simple: be prepared, accept the risks, and don't try to do everything alone.
"Having the right partners in the right place can make all the difference," he concludes.
Blumer Lehmann's success story in Korea perfectly illustrates how persistence, high-value expertise, and the courage to enter a demanding but rewarding market can open new opportunities. It also highlights how the local Swiss Business Hub can provide support at different stages of a company's development in the country.
Andrea Clementi
Head of Swiss Business Hub Korea, Switzerland Global Enterprise
