Werner Sobek explains what sustainable construction means to him following the meeting of the Global Holcim Awards jury in Switzerland.
Werner Sobek is the Director of the Institute for Lightweight Structures and Conceptual Design (ILEK), University of Stuttgart in Germany, and the Principal of Werner Sobek GmbH.
He studied architecture and structural engineering at the University of Stuttgart in Germany. As successor to architect Frei Otto and engineer Joerg Schlaich, Werner Sobek advocates a unique approach of bringing architects and engineers together, both during their training and in their professional activities.
While the ILEK specializes on the research into new materials and new concepts for lightweight and adaptive structures, Werner Sobek’s office is one of the leading engineering consultancies in Europe. It focuses upon design of constructional elements and concepts for sustainable buildings including special structures in steel, glass, titanium, concrete, textiles and wood.
He is the Mies van der Rohe Visiting Professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) in Chicago, and has also taught at the Academy for Architectural Culture (AAC) in Hamburg, Harvard University in Cambridge, University of Graz, University of Stuttgart and the University of Hannover.
Werner Sobek has received the DuPont Benedictus Award, the European Gluelam Award, the Fritz Schumacher Award, the iF Design Award, the SEAOI Structural Engineering Award, AIA awards of the American Institute of Architecture, the Hugo Haering Award, the Fazlur Rahman Khan Medal and the UIA’s Auguste Perret Prize.
He is the Vice Chairman of the Board of the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen).
Werner Sobek was a member of the Global Holcim Awards jury 2012. He presented a keynote address and co-presented in the workshop Reduce CO2 – With technology to zero emissions at the 3rd International Holcim Forum 2010 in Mexico City.
[Last update: 23-Mar-12]
Image gallery
Werner Sobek, member of the Global Holcim Awards jury 2012, Director of the Institute for Lightweight Structures and Conceptual Design (ILEK) at the University of Stuttgart, Germany
The photographs shown below can be downloaded in high-resolution format by clicking on the link next to the icon below the image. The images may be used for media and academic purposes and must include a photo credit: Photos © Holcim Foundation. For further enquiries please contact info@holcimfoundation.org.
 Werner Sobek, member of the Global Holcim Awards jury 2012, Director of the Institute for Lightweight Structures and Conceptual Design (ILEK) at the University of Stuttgart, Germany Werner Sobek at the Global Holcim Awards 2012 jury meeting in Zurich, Switzerland.  Werner Sobek, member of the Global Holcim Awards jury 2012, Director of the Institute for Lightweight Structures and Conceptual Design (ILEK) at the University of Stuttgart, Germany Werner Sobek examining posters in the finalist’s gallery during the Global Holcim Awards 2012 jury meeting in Zurich, Switzerland.  Werner Sobek, member of the Global Holcim Awards jury 2012, Director of the Institute for Lightweight Structures and Conceptual Design (ILEK) at the University of Stuttgart, Germany Werner Sobek (left) and Julia Marton-Lefèvre, Director General, IUCN, France/Switzerland during the Global Holcim Awards 2012 jury meeting.  Werner Sobek, member of the Global Holcim Awards jury 2012, Director of the Institute for Lightweight Structures and Conceptual Design (ILEK) at the University of Stuttgart, Germany Werner Sobek presents his keynote address “Reduce to the max” at the 3rd International Holcim Forum for Sustainable Construction – “Re-inventing Construction” held at the Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico City in 2010.
 |
 |
|