Felix Heisel

Felix Heisel is an Assistant Professor and Director of the Circular Construction Lab at Cornell University's College of Architecture, Art, and Planning. He serves as a faculty fellow at the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability and holds graduate field membership in architecture, systems engineering, and matter design computation. A licensed German architect and partner of 2hs Architekten und Ingenieur PartGmbB, his work focuses on systemic redesign of the built environment as a material depot for endless reuse. He has received multiple awards for his contributions to circular economies and sustainable design.

Education: Graduated from the Berlin University of the Arts. Teaching: He has taught at institutions worldwide, including ETH Zürich, Harvard GSD, and the Ethiopian Institute of Architecture. Research: Specializes in adaptive reuse, alternative materials, and circular economies, with publications including Building Better – Less – Different: Circular Construction and Circular Economy (2022) and Urban Mining und kreislaufgerechtes Bauen (2021).

Research Interests: Circular construction systems, material depot frameworks, urban mining, and sustainable architectural design. His work bridges theory and practice through prototypological research and collaborative design approaches.

Awards: Recipient of the German Green Solutions Award (2020/21), MaterialPREIS (2019), and Zumtobel Group Award (2014). His work has been exhibited globally, including at the Venice Biennale and Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism.

Grants & Labs: Directs the Circular Construction Lab (CCL), developing tools like the RhinoCircular software. Engaged in interdisciplinary projects addressing sustainability and material innovation in built environments.