Tutors
Mario Rinke (University of Antwerp)
is professor at the Faculty of Design Sciences at the University of Antwerp. Trained as a structural engineer and working in the field of architecture for some years, he is teaching and researching construction in the realm of architecture. Genuinely interested in transformation processes between areas of knowledge and materials, he is specialized in hybrid material concepts. Mario Rinke holds a Diploma degree in civil engineering from the Bauhaus University Weimar and a PhD from ETH Zurich and worked as a design engineer for major offices in London and Zurich. He was researcher and lecturer at the architecture department at ETH Zurich, lecturer at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts and guest professor at the Tor Vergata University Rome. In several design & build workshops and courses, he explored material and component-based design based on craftsmanship and embedded construction cultures. Currently, he serves as a member of scientific committees, as a reviewer for journals and is a founding member of the International Association of Structures and Architecture (IASA).
Alessandro Tellini (ETH Zurich)
is the head of the Rapid Architectural Prototyping Laboratory (Raplab), lecturer for Model and Design at the Department of Architecture ETH Zurich and runs his own Zurich-based design and craft practice Faber Atelier. Trained as both graphic and product designer, he developed a broad interest in fabrication and construction early on in his career. He was able to apply his practical knowledge in various projects, ranging from architectural modelmaking, product development, the fabrication of large-scale architectural prototypes, and as a lecturer in various national and international workshops. As the head of Raplab, he is responsible for 850m2 workshop space and instructs, together with his team, ca 800 students each semester. Teaching craft and design are always at the core of his activities.
Klaus Zwerger (TU Vienna)
teaches and researches at the Institute for Design Theory and Design at the Vienna University of Technology. The focus of his research is the history and typology of historical wooden architecture. In his research, he examines a wide variety of construction cultures, both theoretically and through regular field studies. He studied design and textile design at the University of Applied Arts Vienna. Since 1991 he was a university assistant at the Vienna University of Technology and received his habilitation in historical timber architecture in 2012.
Sven Verbruggen (University of Antwerp)
graduated with honours as engineer architect at the University of Ghent, in 2000. Before moving into academia, Sven acquired profound experience in architectural practice—by collaborating on many large scale and international projects for renowned practices such as Neutelings Riedijk Architects, Skidmore Owings and Merrill, and by founding his own private practice. Sven has a track record in working on large hybrid buildings and sites that serve as logistic centres for goods, services, and peoples—such as the Shipping and Transport College in Rotterdam, the Museum of Antwerp [MAS], the Opera/Hotel/carpark/Mall designed for the city centre of Ljubljana, and the Gare Maritime project for Tour & Taxis in Brussels [for all projects listed here Sven operated as project architect for Neutelings Riedijk Architecten]. The track record of Sven Verbruggen has been established primarily in practice. Up until 2017 for example Sven was still the project architect for an office development of 50.000m2 in the awarded reconversion project Gare Maritime of Tour & Taxis in Brussels. Also throughout his PhD research on contemporary architectural design theories, Sven remained intensively involved in practice. His academic career started in 2009, first as a design tutor, later profoundly engaging with benchmarking and internationalizing the educational curriculum. Since a pursuit of a full academic career started with acquiring his tenure track position at the University of Antwerp in February 2019, Sven has been involved in academic research, teaching and setting up the valorisation office the Design Sciences Hub.
