Jens Weßel

Jens Weßel is a Lecturer at the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam, where he has been an academic staff member since 2022. He serves as the Head of the 3D Lab within the Department of Urban Planning | Construction | Culture, focusing on teaching and research in model making as a presentation medium. His work emphasizes creating cohesive, self-contained visual narratives in architecture and urban planning.

Education: He studied architecture at the University of the Arts Berlin and trained as a model maker. Career highlights include roles at Monath + Menzel (1993–2003), followed by a Lecturer position at the Muthesius University of Applied Sciences for Art and Design in Kiel (2003). He later managed model-making workshops at Hundertmark and Partner and Barkow Leibinger for nearly two decades (until 2021), where his work was featured in Barkow Leibinger's publications and exhibitions.

Research interests span model making's role in historical design analysis and its integration into scientific and educational practices. His models are notable for their inclusion in prestigious collections like the German Architecture Museum (DAM) in Frankfurt and MoMA New York. Key exhibitions include the DAM Prize 2009 (1st place), the 2017 Chicago Architecture Biennial, and the 2020 Haus am Waldsee exhibition in Berlin.

• Awards: DAM Prize 2009 (1st Prize)

Advising and projects: He oversees research-based learning at FH-Potsdam, including a 2023 student project on Peter Behrens in Berlin and Brandenburg. His 2021 initiative, the "Concept for a model making workshop and teaching of the future," aims to modernize model-making education. The 3D Lab under his leadership supports experimental design and interdisciplinary collaboration.