Architecture Matters
15–16 Mai 2024

Deputy Head of Departement (Feuilleton)

Dr. Matthias Alexander studied history, German studies, and philosophy in Bonn, Bologna, Jena, and Munich. In 1998 he completed his PhD with a dissertation on the Free Conservative party in the German Empire. Alexander joined the editorial team of Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) in 1999, covering urban planning and architecture and rising to head of the department in 2007. He moved to the FAZ features department in summer 2020, where he has been the deputy head since June 2021.

Global Head of Asset Management and Sustainability at Commerz Real

Jens Böhnlein is Global Head of Asset Management and Sustainability at Commerz Real. In this role, he oversees the management and development of the global real estate portfolio of Commerzbank’s real estate subsidiary, valued at over 14 billion euros.

He is also responsible for all sustainability activities and is driving digitalization.

Before joining Commerz Real in 2018, the trained engineer and architect was Global Head Office Solutions & Designs at CA Immo AG in Austria starting in 2017 after holding various leadership positions at Cushman & Wakefield in Germany and EMEA.

photo © Commerz Real

Editor-in-Chief Table.Media

Michael Bröcker is one of Germany’s most prominent political journalists. Since January 2024, he has been Editor-in-Chief at Table.Media, whose Professional Briefings target decision-makers in business, science, politics, and administration. Previously, the economics graduate was editor-in-chief of ThePioneer from 2019 to 2023 and editor-in-chief of the Rheinische Post from 2014 to 2019.

With his expertise, Bröcker critically examines the work of the federal government and party power dynamics. As a commentator on current political and economic decisions, he is a frequent guest on talk shows such as Markus Lanz, maischberger, and Phoenix Runde.

Michael Bröcker is a member of the Board of Trustees of the International Journalism Programme (IJP) and a member of the jury for the Arthur F. Burns Journalism Prize.

photo © ARD

Architect, Studio Odile Decq

Since founding her firm in 1978, French architect Odile Decq has forged a distinctive path. Her work forms a holistic universe where architecture, design, art, and urbanism interweave, challenging and informing one another. Bold geometries and an innovative spirit characterize Decq’s creations across all these disciplines.

Notable works include the Banque Populaire de l’Ouest in Rennes, the University of Nantes, the Museum of Contemporary Art of Rome (MACRO), the GL Events headquarters in Lyon, Fangshan Tangshan National Geopark Museum in China, and her latest project, the Antares residential tower in Barcelona.

Decq has received numerous awards for her work, including the 2014 Silver Medal of Honour from the Académie d’Architecture, the 2016 Jane Drew Prize from The Architects Journal in London for pushing boundaries and promoting equality; Architizer’s 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award, and appointment as Commandeur de l’Ordre du Mérite in 2018.

In 2014, she founded the Confluence Institute for Innovation and Creative Strategies in Architecture with the aim of reshaping architectural education for the 21st century. Based in Paris, it earned accreditation from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in 2017.

photo © Franck Juery

Co-Founder, Space&Matter

Sascha studied architecture at RWTH Aachen, graduated cum laude in 2007 and co-founded Space&Matter in Amsterdam in 2009 at the height of the economic crisis, creating projects when opportunities were scarce. Equally passionate about strategic design, innovative concepts and democratic development processes, Sascha focuses on implementing the principles of the Doughnut economy in the built environment. He initiated De Ceuvel and SWEETS Hotel, and played a leading role in shaping the plan for Schoonschip. He is currently exploring how Community Land Trusts in particular can accelerate this transition and focused on creating a comprehensive ecosystem that can increase the scale and impact of these past projects and achieve circular area development.

photo © Manon van der Zwaal

Architect, Peter . Haimerl Architecture

Peter Haimerl’s projects push the boundaries of conventional architecture. Born in the Bavarian Forest, he has been based in Munich since 1991. With initiatives such as HAUS.PATEN, the new concert hall in Blaibach, and the Denkerhaus on the Schedlberg, he has been committed to the cultural development of his home region for many years. To address present demands, Haimerl is now focusing intently on modular construction – with his honeycomb house, a small, complex unit is being developed into a diverse ensemble of cluster flats.

Haimerl has received numerous awards for his projects, including the Grand Nike (Große Nike), the Bavarian State Prize for Architecture, and the Bavarian Cultural Prize. He has taught at Braunschweig University of Art, Kassel University, and Linz University of Design, and is a member of the Berlin Academy of the Arts and the Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts.

Architect, Anupama Kundoo Architects

Anupama Kundoo is an internationally renowned Indian architect and professor. She first gained recognition through her work in Auroville (India), where she designed and realized many economically innovative, energy and water efficient buildings from mid-1990 to 2002. Her “Wall House” was shown at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2012. A major exhibition at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art was dedicated to the architect’s work in 2020. Kundoo was also part of the Chicago Architecture Biennial in 2023.

Anupama Kundoo has taught architecture and urban planning at various international universities, including TU Berlin and the AA School of Architecture in London.

She has received numerous awards for her architectural work, such as the Auguste Perret Prize 2021 for architectural technology, the global Building Sense Now 2021 award from the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB), and the Global Award for Sustainable architecture under the auspices of UNESCO in 2022.

photo © Andreas Deffner

Planning director, City of Munich

Prof. Dr. (University of Florence) Elisabeth Merk, architect, has served as the City of Munich’s Planning Director since 2007 and was reelected in 2018 for the third time. She headed the urban development and urban planning division in Halle/Saale from 2000 to 2005. From 2005 to 2007 Elisabeth Merk had a regulary professorship at the Hochschule für Technik Stuttgart (HfT). In 2009, Elisabeth Merk was appointed honorary professor at the HfT, Faculty of Architecture and Design. In 2020 she received an honorary professorship at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). Elisabeth Merk has been President of the German Academy for Urban and Regional Spatial Planning (DASL) from 2015 to 2022.

photo © Ilona Stelzl

Alexander Moell, Senior Managing Director Hines

Alexander Moell is Senior Managing Director and Co-Head of Germany responsible for project development, acquisition and asset management in Germany. He joined Hines in 1995 and is based in Berlin. Alexander graduated from the University of Berlin and received his Masters in International Business Administration from the Thunderbird School of Global Management.

photo © Hines

Hacker, IT security consultant, spokesperson for the Chaos Computer Club

Linus Neumann is a hacker, psychologist, and voluntary spokesperson for the Chaos Computer Club. He regularly identifies security vulnerabilities within software and systems and critically examines digitalization: “We enjoy all the drawbacks of digitalization without fully reaping its benefits.” He wants to change that.

As an IT security consultant, he is enlisted by international companies and critical infrastructure operators to hack their systems and eliminate security vulnerabilities. His work often garners public attention, such as when he and colleagues exposed vulnerabilities in De-Mail, mobile networks, and voting software used to evaluate federal election results. Neumann has also analysed international spyware.

In his role as a voluntary spokesperson for the Chaos Computer Club (CCC), Neumann frequently offers public commentary on current issues related to net politics, IT security, and digitalization. He advocates for net neutrality, data protection, transparency, and civil rights. Since 2011, he has co-hosted the popular podcast “Logbuch:Netzpolitik” with Tim Pritlove. Neumann’s extensive expertise makes him a sought-after guest on various political television programmes.

Director, Local Building Commission, City of Munich

Thomas Rehn has been Director of the Munich Local Building Commission since 2023. The trained architect and urban planner has worked in Munich’s planning department since 1990, holding senior positions in both the Local Building Commission and in urban planning.

Thomas Rehn is a member of the Association of German Architects and the SRL Association for Urban, Regional and State Planning.

photo © Thomas Rehn

Ministerial Director at the Bavarian State Ministry of Housing, Building and Transport

Ingrid Simet served as Ministerial Director at the Bavarian State Ministry for Housing, Construction and Transport since 1 May 2022. She previously led the Department of Law, Planning and Construction Technology from 2007, and later, from February 2017, she was Head of the Housing and Urban Development Department.

Ingrid Simet studied law in Munich and Berlin. Since early 1988, her career in the Bavarian civil service has led her to hold positions at various administrative levels, including the Government of Upper Bavaria, the Munich District Office, and the General Internal Administration and Supreme Building Authority in the State Ministry of the Interior, Building and Transport. From 2001 to 2007, she served as the Head of the State Secretary’s Office.

photo © StMB

Head of Innovation, 3XN/GXN

Kåre Stokholm Poulsgaard is Partner and Head of Innovation at 3XN Architect’s independent innovation unit, GXN. As part of GXN’s leadership team, Kåre develops 3XN and GXN’s research activities while working to bring research insights and approaches into architectural consultancy projects.

Taking the approach that multidisciplinary research is key to solving the most pressing challenges that the built environment faces today, GXN seeks to innovate architecture to create buildings that better align the needs of people and planet. Kåre’s work bridges strategic consultancy and research with a specific focus on decarbonization, circular economy, technology, and human wellbeing.

Kåre holds a DPhil in Anthropology from the University of Oxford, where he researched the impact of digital technologies on human cognition and creativity.

photo © Zuhal Kocan

Partner, 3XN/GXN

Christian Veddeler joined 3XN in 2022 as a partner, leading the firm’s emerging business in Amsterdam with a focus on design, innovation, and sustainability. Christian’s extensive portfolio encompasses over 60 projects across Europe, the United States, and Asia. Currently, he is overseeing two ambitious large-scale adaptive re-use projects in Amsterdam.

Before joining 3XN, Christian served as Director at UNStudio, where he led notable projects including Four Frankfurt, the Campus of Singapore University of Technology and Design, Lighthouse Aarhus (in collaboration with 3XN), the New Amsterdam Pavilion in New York City, and the Burnham Pavilion in Chicago.

Christian’s involvement in academia includes numerous positions at renowned institutions such as ETH Zurich, TU Delft, and Harvard University. He is a frequent speaker and has delivered lectures at numerous conferences and universities worldwide. Christian is book editor and co-author of “Future Cities-City Futures”, published by Delft University of Technology.

photo © Zuhal Kocan