In all directions
Dr Sandra Meireis takes over the tenure-track professorship in Architectural Theory and Science on 1 October 2024
2024/09/30
Sandra Meireis, Dr.-Ing. M.A. (AA), is an architectural scientist and author. Her research, publications and lectures focus on the history and theory of architecture and the city with topics at the intersection of cultural studies, politics and aesthetics. Currently, she is particularly concerned with historical-philosophical questions of the modern age of globalisation that relate to her field of teaching and is conducting research into the critical theorisation of architecture after the digital revolution.
After an apprenticeship as a carpenter, she completed her diploma in Architecture & Design at the Stuttgart State Academy of Art and Design. This was followed by a Master's degree in History and Critical Thinking at the Architectural Association (AA) School of Architecture, London/UK and a PhD in Architectural Theory at the TU Berlin.
Since 2010, she has taught architectural history and theory at various universities, including as a teaching assistant in the class for architectural and design history/theory at the State Academy of Fine Arts Stuttgart (2010/11 and 2012-14), as a research assistant at the University of Stuttgart (2013) and the Technical University of Berlin (2014-17), as a lecturer at the Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences (2017/18) and as a research assistant at the Department of Architectural Theory and Design at the University of Kassel (2019-21). Most recently, she represented the professorship of the class for Architecture and Design History / Architectural Theory at the ABK Stuttgart (2021-23).
On 1 October, she will take over the tenure-track professorship in architectural theory and science that became vacant following the departure of Dr Anna-Maria Meister.
Statement on teaching
At the centre of the Department of Architectural Theory and Science is the contemporary teaching of architectural theory and science, which includes both subject-specific and socio-political issues. My teaching and research topics – focussing on the history(s) and theory(ies) of digital and global architectural culture – are reflected in the sense of critical theory formation, and formats of communication are questioned. This includes the integration of architectural science into the triad of history, theory and practice of architecture.
My teaching and research projects develop from the coordinates of the architecture department at the TU Darmstadt (Campus Lichtwiese):
Faculty (15) Architecture, TU Darmstadt
Coordinates Lichtwiese, Building L3|01:
Latitude 49°51'39.1284 N – Canada, England, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China.
Longitude 8°41'15.36 E – Norway, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Tunisia, Algeria, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon.
Sea level 178 metres above sea level
On the one hand, these symbolically represent the international and interdisciplinary spirit of the field of architectural theory and science, and on the other hand, they are a manifest expression of my teaching and research concept, which is concretely situated on Earth, but conceptually and structurally reaches out in all directions – North-South, East-West, outer space and the oceans.
Publications: Monographs & Edited Volumes (Selection since 2021)
- FORTHCOMING: Froschauer, E. M., Lausch, F., Meireis, S., Platzgummer, K. (Eds.) (2024) The Power of Sources in Architecture Research and Practice. Forum Architekturwissenschaft, Vol. 8. Universitätsverlag der TU Berlin
- Feige, D. M., Meireis, S. (Eds.) (2023) Ästhetik und Architektur. Weißenhof Institute’s Series on Architectural and Design Theory, Vol. 2. transcript Verlag, Bielefeld
- Treiber, M., Meireis, S., Franke, J. (Eds.) Essentials of Montage in Architecture. DIMENSIONS. Journal of Architectural Knowledge, Vol. 2, No. 04/2022. transcript Verlag, Bielefeld
- Meireis, S. (2021) Mikro-Utopien der Architektur. Das utopische Moment architektonischer Minimaltechniken. transcript Verlag, Bielefeld.
Publications: Essays & Contributions (Selection since 2022)
- FORTHCOMING: Meireis, S., Hofer, L. (2024) Prologue: Architecture as Earth Other. In: Catherine Greiner, Weltandere / Earth Others. Actar Publishers, Barcelona/NY
- FORTHCOMING: Meireis, S. (2024) Im Spiegelraum der Gegenwart. Eine kritische Reflexion der Architekturgeschichtslehre aus feministischer Perspektive. In: Nathalie Bredella, Doris Hallama, Torsten Lange (Eds.) Figurations of Gender. Forum Architekturwissenschaft, Vol. 7. Universitätsverlag der TU Berlin
- FORTHCOMING: Meireis, S. (2024) Über die Kunst der Architektur und das Chaos des Alltäglichen. In: Wolkenkuckucksheim, Vol. 28, Issue 44: 25 Years of Wolkenkuckucksheim
- Meireis, S. (2024) Urbane Praxis, pp. 281-283. In: raumlaborberlin (Ed.) Polylemma. Jovis Verlag, Berlin
- Meireis, S. (2023) Sinnliche und maschinelle Intelligenz. Zehn Thesen zu “KI” in der Architektur, pp. 267-289. In: Daniel M. Feige, Sandra Meireis (Eds.) Aesthetics and Architecture. transcript Verlag, Bielefeld
- Meireis, S. (2022) Introduction: Expanding the Notion of Montage in Architecture, pp. 15-21. In: Max Treiber, Sandra Meireis, Julian Franke (Eds.) Essentials of Montage in Architecture. DIMENSIONS. Journal of Architectural Knowledge, Vol. 2, No. 04/2022. transcript Verlag, Bielefeld
Memberships (Selection)
- Since 2017: Network for Architectural Science e.V. (currently on the board)
- Since 2020: Mentor in doctoral programs (TU Berlin and TU Munich)
- Since 2022: Association of German Architects (BDA, BaWue)
- Since 2023: Focus Group on Digitality & Aesthetics (DGPhil-AG: Philosophy of Digitality)
- Since 2024: Advisory Board of DIMENSIONS. Journal of Architectural Knowledge