Replacing a seasonal membrane roof at Rapperswil Castle through reverse engineering and form-finding.

Replacement of the Temporary Funnel-Shaped Roof at Rapperswil Castle

Portfolio

Feasibility, form-finding and technical concept for a translucent membrane pavilion in Mariastein.

Pilgrim Forum on the Monastery Square, Mariastein

Research

Resume

A translucent membrane envelope for the world’s tallest 3D-printed building’s visitor centre in Mulegns.

Ultralight Building Envelope for the Mulegns Visitor Centre

Modern replacement of a damaged Expo.02 membrane at a popular Swiss riverside pool, preserving the original shape.

New tensile sunshade for the historic outdoor pool in Solothurn

Extracurricular

Blog

Textile façade upgrade for thermal insulation and a modern architectural appearance.

Renovation of the Community Center Bättwil

Temporary canopy for an outdoor learning site using innovative, nature-integrated construction methods.

Buchwald Forest Canopy

Lightweight textile reconstruction of the historical optical apparatus at the Bourbaki Panorama in Lucerne.

Optical Apparatus Renewal, Bourbaki Panorama, Lucerne

A new generation of tents combining architectural identity, passive cooling, and structural precision.

A new tent architecture for the Centro Sportivo Tenero

Lightweight pavilion with a prestressed textile roof at the edge of the Bouleyres forest in Bulle, Switzerland.

Pavilion "La Porte de la Forêt", Bulle

Mechanically prestressed membrane roof for a timber dome at Switzerland’s largest traditional sports event.

ESAF Dome – Membrane Architecture for a Temporary Landmark

Experimental lightweight pavilion combining a compression-only gridshell with a tensioned textile membrane.

BioMat Pavilion 2021 – LightPRO Shell

What can a membrane envelope really achieve thermally? TN01 goes back to first principles to separate calculation, evidence and myth.

Technical Notes – Going Back to First Principles

Water-Lily Temple explores the transition from proportional order to form-found equilibrium. Using the Rome Rain Rooms brief as a test case, the project asks whether a gridshell can mediate between architectural geometry and the physical logic of a membrane.

Water-Lily Temple: From Proportion to Equilibrium

An essay on geometry, form finding and textile architecture — tracing a path from proportion and fractal order to membranes as equilibrium forms and the future of hybrid lightweight structures.

From Proportion to Equilibrium

A technical follow-up to the Rapperswil Castle case study: this post explains the geometric logic, Grasshopper workflow, and C# script used to generate a radial helper geometry for fabrication-oriented panel layout.

How the Radial Panel Logic Works in Grasshopper

Freeform membrane roofs cannot be assessed with one overall roof pitch. This article shows a practical RFEM, Rhino, and Grasshopper workflow to evaluate local face inclinations, define snow-load zones, and document the assumptions clearly in the structural report.

From Form-Finding to Load Zones

How can a free membrane edge be subdivided radially without creating inconsistent panel widths? This article outlines a parametric helper method that uses an internal reference point and adaptive ray distribution to prepare reliable control geometry for downstream patterning in textile architecture.

Radial Cutting Logic for Free Membrane Edges

What if the most important lesson in membrane structures is not about tension — but about freedom? “Let it swing,” he used to say. A simple phrase that carries a profound understanding of ultralight construction and the quiet intelligence of flexible systems.

In Memory of Jürgen Hennicke

HF welding bonds textiles reliably when current, time and pressure are managed deliberately. Effective tool width and contact govern heating and quality, enabling safe transfer of settings to other seam widths and early detection of risks.

RF Welding – the key to dependable details

Insights from practice – by an expert in textile architecture working at the interface of design, engineering, and fabrication

Understanding Material Testing in Textile Architecture: Why Even Simple Tests Matter

A small study on integrating translucent membrane columns into a free-standing membrane structure: polar addition, integrated bracing, summer comfort, and a lantern solution for the central opening.

Light Membrane Columns: A Modular Canopy for Temporary Open-Air Venues

Five thought experiments on ultra-lightweight textile architecture – summarised with a real-world case study proving it can be built today.

Textile Mindshift – From Vision to Buildable Reality

Flat textile facades are not advertising panels – they are architectural envelopes with technical depth, lightweight efficiency and expressive potential. Ideal for renovations, modular buildings and creative facade concepts.

Flat Textile Facades – More Than Advertising Panels

Refurbishing textile roofs poses unique challenges – from missing documentation to outdated structural data. This article highlights key pitfalls, showcases real-life case studies, and offers practical advice for architects and engineers facing such complex renovation tasks.

Refurbishing Textile Roofs: Complex Challenges and Practical Solutions

Using the example of a temporary textile canopy in Geroldswil, this article explores how reverse engineering and closer structural analysis made it possible to simplify complex corner details and improve fabrication, installation, and recurring assembly.

When Good Details Become Even Lighter

Young’s modulus is often treated as a simple input value. In membrane engineering, it is not. This essay explains why stiffness depends on biaxial testing, load paths, model reduction and the engineer’s ability to read the material.

The Question That Always Returns: Young’s Modulus

In textile architecture, standardisation is often misunderstood as repetition. But in project-driven practice, a standard can be much more than a finished product: it can be a system logic that allows special cases to be solved efficiently, safely and with architectural quality.

2026—	Senior Development Engineer
2020—2026	Lightweight Membrane Structures Engineer
2017—2020	Head of Planning and Project Management, Textile Architecture
2014—2017	Self-employed Metal Construction Engineer
2013—2014	Head of Sales and Quotations
2008—2013	Head of Service
2006—2007	Project Manager
2004—2006	Metal Construction Designer
2002—2004	Metal Construction Technician
1997—2002	Metal Construction Designer

2018—2020	Lightweight Membrane Structures MEng. (Master of Engineering)
2011	Leadership SVF
2009—2010	Management Certificate Program
2009	Certified Vocational Trainer Course (Federally recognized certificate)
2007—2009	Metal Construction Designer FA (Federal Professional Certificate)
2002—2004	Certified Metal Construction Technician EFZ (Federal VET Diploma)
1997—2001	Metal Construction Drafter EFZ (Federal VET Diploma)

Tensile architecture	System Development
Lightweight Structural Systems	Innovation & Research
Structural Design & Engineering	Construction Supervision
Form-Finding & Structural Analysis	Interdisciplinary Project Leadership
Technical Detailing & Buildability	Cross-disciplinary collaboration
Product Development	Knowledge Transfer & Technical Communication

Membrane Institute	Engineer & Senior Researcher
TECTUM – Swiss Tent Builders Association	Industry lecturer and contributor
International Conferences	Structural Membranes 2025 Advanced Building Skins 2023

My resumé

Work experience

Education

Core Expertise

Interdisciplinary Perspective

Professional Affiliations