Marieke Kums

Prof. Marieke Kums is a Professor at the Leibniz University Hannover, affiliated with the Institute for Design and Building Theory within the Faculty of Architecture and Landscape. Her academic appointment began in 2021, and she leads the Architecture in Context department. Previously, she co-founded the studio MAKS in Rotterdam (2010), worked at OMA/Rem Koolhaas in Tokyo (2003–2005), and SANAA/Kazuyo Sejima & Ryue Nishizawa (2008–2009). She holds an MSc Arch (cum laude) from TU Delft and studied at MIT. Her research focuses on spatial design across scales—from objects to urban plans—emphasizing architecture as open-ended systems adaptable to change. Courses taught include BA/MA level projects, building theory, and excursions, conducted in both English and German. Awards include the 2010 Prix de Rome nomination.

Her teaching portfolio spans Comprehensive Project, Bachelor Thesis, Building Theory II, and Open Thesis, fostering interdisciplinary approaches. The research group collaborates on urban transformations, as seen in the publication City center in transformation (2019). The team includes scientific staff like Dipl.-Ing. Johannes Arolt and student tutors such as Martin Hajduga. Her office is located in Building 4201, Room C127.