Jörg Leeser

Professor Jörg Leeser serves as Professor for Design in Urban Context and Urban Construction Theory at the Peter Behrens School of Arts, Hochschule Düsseldorf, where he has been a faculty member since 2015. He also holds the position of Program Director for the MSc Civic Design program and has been a member of the university senate since 2016. His academic career includes previous appointments as substitute professor at Peter Behrens School of Architecture (2011-2014) and Bergische Universität Wuppertal (2008-2009), as well as lecturing positions at RWTH Aachen.

Leeser's educational background includes architecture studies at RWTH Aachen and Bartlett School of Architecture in London (1986-1997), following his birth in Essen in 1967. His professional experience spans international institutions including Rensselaer Polytechnical Institute in New York (1998) and his own architectural practice Leeser Architecture in New York City (1994-1999).

His research focuses on urban design principles, urban construction theory, and the transformation of urban spaces, with particular emphasis on sustainable development, flexible self-build cities, and the integration of residential architecture within urban contexts. Leeser explores the contradictions between planning and lived reality through experimental process constructions, examining spatial potentials of agglomerations, city landscapes, and core areas.

His 15 most recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on urban transformation, with recurring themes of self-build housing, suburban-to-urban transitions, and the relationship between architectural design and social development. The publications span major architectural journals and exhibition catalogs, reflecting his active engagement with both academic and professional architectural discourse.

• Verzinkerpreis for Sustainability (2019)
• Kölner Architekturpreis recognition (2017, 2014, 2003)
• Berlin Award for Heimat in der Fremde (2016)
• BDA-Architekturpreis Nike shortlist (2016)
• Architekturpreis NRW recognition (2015, 2007)
• Kunstpreis of the Academy of Arts, Berlin (2011)
• Deutscher Bauherrenpreis (2010)
• Mies van der Rohe Award nomination (2007)
• Förderpreis of North Rhine-Westphalia (2003)

As co-founder of BeL Sozietät für Architektur with Anne-Julchen Bernhardt since 2000, Leeser has been involved in numerous architectural projects exhibited internationally, including at the Venice Architecture Biennale (2016), DAM Frankfurt, and MAK Köln. His practice engages with urban interventions, housing projects, and spatial transformations, often focusing on sustainable approaches and community-oriented design. He maintains active roles in architectural discourse through his Gestaltungsbeirat membership in Berlin since 2022 and continues to shape architectural education through his teaching at Hochschule Düsseldorf.