Vita
Irmgard Lochner is an engineer who positions herself at the interface of architecture and civil engineering. Her professional passion feeds on the inspiring dialogue between natural structures.
By utilising modern, digital tools, this dialogue can be poured into new sustainable forms. One of her guiding principles describes the topic: „Aesthetic structures are efficient – efficient structures are aesthetic“.
Irmgard Lochner has exhibited her scientific work at the Red Dot Design Museum in Essen, the Center Pompidou in Paris and in 2023 at the Biennale Archittetura in Venice, among others. She has designed and is responsible for numerous scientific publications and books on the subject.
It is particularly important to her to incorporate her experience and attitude into her teaching at the University of Applied Sciences Biberach (HBC). From basic courses to advanced open questions concerning sustainable, efficient and aesthetic form finding, her experience and knowledge is available to the students.
Another aspect of her experience is her partnership in the internationally and globally active engineering office PUL Ingenieure. She incorporates current and practical experience, from competition level to realised construction, into her teaching practise.
Vita
| 2014 – 15 | Visiting Research Scholar, Princeton University, USA |
| 2013 | Scientific committee, ICSA International Conference on Structure and Architecture |
| 2012 | Scientific committee, IASS International Association of Shell and Spatial Structures |
| 2009 | Associate, Peter und Lochner Stuttgart |
| 2009 | PhD dissertation / Dr.-Ing, „Design Strategies“, Institute of Lightweight Structures and Conceptual Design |
| 2007 – | Professor, Structure in Architecture, Biberach University of Applied Sciences |
| 2006 | Teaching consultant, Konstruktives Entwerfen, HfT Stuttgart |
| 2001 – 05 | Enseignant, Ecole des Ponts et Chaussées + Ecole d’Architecture des Villes et des Territoires, Paris |
| 2000 – 05 | Teaching + Research Assistant, Institute for Lightweight Structures and Conceptual Design, Stuttgart |
| 2000 – | Peter und Lochner, Stuttgart |
| 1999 | Ove Arup, Berlin |
| 1998 – 99 | Prof. Polonyi + Partner, Berlin |
| 1994 – 95 | Civil and Structural Engineering, University of Bath, England |
| 1991 – 97 | Civil and Structural Engineering, University of Stuttgart |
| 1990 – 91 | Design studies in Stuttgart, Cologne and Rhode Island / USA |
Selected publications
| 2018 | Literal and phenomenal lightness: lightness, logics and aesthetics. Proceedings of the IASS Symposium „Creativity in Structural Design“ 2018, MIT, Boston, USA |
| 2018 | Natural Structures and Structural Optimization. Journal of the International Association of Shell and Spatial Structures Special Issue Frei Otto, Vol 59 (2018) No 1 March n 195 |
| 2017 | Exhibition „NaturPatente – PatenteNatur“. Ministerium fuer Umwelt, Klima und Energiewirtschaft Baden-Wuerttemberg. Holcim Forum |
| 2017 | Learning from Insects: Studies of Nest Structures. Chrystelle Mavoungou, Irmgard Lochner, Barbara Bottenbruch. Proceedings of the IASS Symposium „Interfaces: architecture . engineering . science“, Hamburg, German |
| 2011 | Geometry studies using parametric structural models and methods of structural optimization. Proceedings of the IASS Symposium ‚Taller – Longer – Lighter‘ 2011, London |
| 2011 | „Optimization workshop 2011“, Princeton University, Hochschule Biberach |
| 2010 | „digital design workshop 2010“, Hochschule Biberach |
| 2009 | Structural Optimization as a Constitutive Design Tool in Architecture. IASS International Association of Shell and Spatial Structures: Evolution and Trends in Design, Analysis and Construction of Shell and Spatial Structures. Valencia, Spain, |
| 2009 | Design Strategies, Dissertation, University of Stuttgart 2009 |
| 2008 | Entwurfsstrategien / design strategies. In: Ákos Moravánszky, Ole W. Fischer (Hrsg.): precisions – Architektur zwischen Kunst und Wissenschaft. Berlin: Jovis, 2008 |