Germany
Michael U. Hensel works at the intersection between architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning, and geo- and life sciences, with specific focus on data-driven computational methods, en route to equitable urban futures and greener cities, supporting early-stage decision-making by embedding environmental performance, climate intelligence, and adaptive strategies into complex built environment projects. Registered architect and co-founder of the pioneering practice OCEAN. Working at the intersection between architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, geo and life science, and data- and computer-science especially in areas of higher complexity. Pioneer of Performance-oriented Architecture, eco-geological design intelligence, and ECO GEO Cities. Global academic. University Professor at TU Wien, leading the Research Department for Digital Architecture and Planning. Director of AI|APE Competence Center for AI in Architecture, Planning, and Environment. EUList Professor for Architecture and Environment Integration at Leibniz University Hannover. Taught at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London, Berlage Institute Amsterdam & Rotterdam, Technical University in Munich, Rice University in Houston, University of Technology Sydney, and Southeast University in Nanjing, China. Previously served as founding and acting director of the Research Centre for Architecture and Tectonics in Oslo, innovation fellow at UTS in Sydney, and honorary fellow of the Institute of Advanced Studies at Technical University in Munich, as well as board member of BIONIS - The Biomimetics Network for Industrial Sustainability.Michael U. Hensel works at the intersection between architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning, and geo- and life sciences, with specific focus on data-driven computational methods.
Director of AI|APE Competence Center for Artificial Intelligence in Architecture, Planning, and Environment
OCEAN Architecture | Environment undertakes research and design at the intersection between architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, geo and life sciences, and data science. The mission is to integrate cities and architectures with the natural environment to ensure climate adaptivity, environmental and ecological sustainability, and human health and wellbeing. OCEAN A|E has an extensive track-record in the areas of performance-oriented design, green cities and embedded architectures. OCEAN A|E's data-driven computational design methods and decision support systems powered by information models enables inspiring solutions for everyday life, and sustainable planning and design solutions.
In ECOLOPES we propose a radical change for city development: instead of minimizing the negative impact of urbanisation on nature, we aim at urbanisation to be planned and designed such that nature – including humans – can co-evolve within the city. We envisage a radically new integrated ecosystem approach to architecture that focuses equally on humans, plants, animals, and associated organisms such as microbiota. ECOLOPES will provide the technology that will help to achieve this vision.