"I’m a very quiet person on the outside, but I’m very loud on the inside."

Architect Bernard Dubois has been on the fast track since graduating from Brussels’ École de La Cambre in 2009. In less than 10 years, he has opened his own studio, curated the Belgian Pavilion at Venice Architecture Biennale 2014 and designed retail projects for brands such as Nicolas Andreas Taralis and Valextra. As Bernard travels and works abroad—in France, Italy, Switzerland and China—more and more frequently, his appreciation for his Belgian roots only seems to grow.

“My biggest strength is also my biggest weakness: I’m a very systematic person. I don’t believe in creative moments where you’re touched by the grace of God and then suddenly have a great design in hand. Usually, those moments don’t happen.

When I first visit a site or meet with a client, I try not t...