Hubert Klumpner

Hubert Klumpner is Full Professor of Architecture and Urban Design at ETH Zurich's Department of Architecture since August 2010, serving as sole head of the Chair of Architecture and Urban Design since August 2019 after co-leading it with Alfredo Brillembourg from 2010-2018. His work redefines contemporary architecture through purpose-oriented social design and critical analysis of informal urban systems globally.

His educational background includes a degree from the University of Applied Arts Vienna under Hans Hollein and an MSc in Architecture and Urban Design from Columbia University (1995). He holds memberships in the Bavarian Chamber of Architects (since 1997) and Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects (SIA, since 2010).

Prof. Klumpner's research investigates informal urbanism through humanitarian, theoretical, and design lenses, treating shantytowns as laboratories for adaptation and innovation. His methodology shifts architecture from form-driven to socially engaged practice, focusing on post-conflict regions (Balkans, Colombia), circular urban systems, and socio-spatial justice in contexts of migration, climate crisis, and urbicide.

Selected Awards:

• Golden Lion International Architecture Biennale Venice
• Golden Holcim Award South-America
• UN-Habitat Best Practice Award

As educator, he advises master's thesis studios addressing urgent urban challenges including Studio Kigali for Rwanda's healthcare infrastructure, São Paulo's reforestation initiatives, and Sarajevo's urban transformation. He co-founded Urban-Think Tank (U-TT) in Caracas and established Columbia University's S.L.U.M. Lab, securing international grants for projects like the Urban Transformation Program Colombia.

His research collective operates through the ETH Chair, U-TT, and nomadic platforms like Studio-Mobile—a recycled sail-based knowledge exchange vessel connecting Venice Biennale with Western Balkan cities. Current work prototypes circular ecological systems, data-driven unsolicited urban design, and human rights-centered spatial practices across Africa, South America, and Europe.