Behnisch Architekten

Stefan Behnisch, born 1957, studied philosophy (baccalaureus artium) and economics in Munich, and then architecture at the Technical University of Karlsruhe. After receiving his diploma in 1987, he worked as an architect in Behnisch & Partner before establishing his own practice, Behnisch Architekten, in 1989, together with his father Professor Günter Behnisch. In the following years, he founded additional branch offices of Behnisch Architekten in Los Angeles, Boston and Munich.

Stefan Behnisch has been an advocate of sustainable design since he started working as an architect. His first building abroad, the Institute for Forestry and Nature Research in Wageningen, NL, became a milestone for innovative sustainable solutions.

In 2009 he received a Good Design Award in the category of “People”, presented by the Chicago Athenaeum and the European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies, in 2007 a Global Award for Sustainable Architecture, in 2004 an Environmental Champion Award, presented by Interiors & Sources Magazine, USA and in 2002 an Award "Trophée Sommet de la Terre et Bâtiment" for Sustainable Architecture, France.

Stefan Behnisch has held several teaching positions: the Eero Saarinen Chair Visiting Professor at Yale School of Architecture; the Miller Visiting Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; the Harry W. Porter Jr. Visiting Professor at the University of Virginia School of Architecture. He was/is a visiting Professor at the École Polytechnique Fédérale in Lausanne (EPLF), at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque and at the TU Delft in The Netherlands. He is a BDA, RIBA and AIA member, an NCARB certified architect, and an AIA Honorary Fellow.

Florian von Hayek, born in 1981 in Weilheim, Germany, studied architecture at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar. Thereafter he attended the Institute of Architecture at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna where he completed his Masterclass. He has been at Behnisch Architekten since 2010. His particular focus is on architecture in the urban context: his work consistently incorporates his thinking on sustainable urban development and the way buildings interact with their environment. Florian’s interest in discussing contemporary architectural issues with colleagues also feeds into the support and training of new staff members. Florian became office director in 2018 and joined the partnership in the Munich office in 2022.

Erik Hegre, born 1980 in River Falls, WI, USA, received his Master of Architecture from the University of Oregon and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Prior to joining Behnisch Architekten’s Boston office in 2012, Erik’s experience was primarily with architectural practices specializing in design/build and fabrication, through which he developed a passion for an integrated approach to design and construction. With an early and deep commitment to sustainable design, building science, meticulous detailing and material selection, he directs multidisciplinary teams and is actively involved in systems integration, digital workflows, and optimizing the interfaces between design and realization of projects. As an expert in the innovative control of complex building systems, Erik leads the office in digital design and Building Information Modeling (BIM). Erik became office director in 2018 and joined the partnership in the Boston office in 2023.

Maria Hirnsperger, born in 1985 in Salzburg, Austria, is a graduate of the Technical University of Vienna Master of Architecture program, where she also earned her Bachelor of Science in Architecture. She worked at Scheicher Architekten in Salzburg before joining Behnisch Architekten in 2013. As a trained carpenter, Maria is passionate about the further development of timber construction and is a strong advocate of circular construction. Her designs place great value on architecture’s social dimension, always focusing on the well-being of the users. Maria is committed to raising awareness of these issues through her activities as a juror, her engagements as a speaker, and her contributions to numerous publications. Maria became office director in 2018 and joined the partnership in the Munich office in 2022.

Michael Innerarity, born in 1976 in New Orleans, USA, holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a Master of Architecture degree from North Carolina State University and also studied architecture at the Hochschule für Technik in Stuttgart. He worked at Toshiko Mori Architect in New York City before joining Behnisch Architekten in 2007. Michael is a great believer in open dialogue in the office as a way to enable good architecture to evolve independently of preconceived design vocabularies. He is keenly aware of the urgent need to promote the sustainable aspects of construction. His holistic approach, with its emphasis on the haptic qualities of architecture, has been put to the test in numerous national and international projects. Michael became office director in 2018 and joined the partnership in the Stuttgart office in 2023.

Stephan Leissle, born in 1977 in Mutlangen, Germany, studied architecture at the École nationale supérieure des arts et industries de Strasbourg and graduated from the Technische Universität in Dresden. After working for Behnisch, Behnisch und Partner in 2003, he moved to Behnisch Architekten, Stuttgart. Stephan’s projects are characterized by their skilled interweaving of sustainability and complexity and the succinct elaboration of design ideas. In the office, his proven expertise in contract management is seen as a valuable asset. Stephan became office director in 2018 and joined the partnership in the Munich office in 2022.

Angie Müller-Puch, born in 1984 in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Germany, studied architecture at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and the RWTH Aachen University where she received her diploma. She worked for kadawittfeldarchitektur, Aachen, as well as Bez+Kock Architekten, Stuttgart, before coming to Behnisch Architekten in 2015. Angie is passionate about resource-efficient construction that harmonizes with its natural environment. She has developed concepts for Einfaches Bauen (Simple Forms of Building) and is committed to social solutions with an environmental agenda and sustainable focus: she is an active advocate for these issues through her work on juries and as a lecturer and published author. She also values the discourse with budding architects in the context of her university activities. Angie founded the Weimar office in 2022 and is a partner there.

Christine Napolitano, born in 1979 in Hudson Valley, New York, USA, received her Master in Architecture degree from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, where she also earned a Master in Design Studies in Architectural History and Theory. She worked for Kyu Sung Woo Architects in Cambridge, Massachusetts, before coming to Behnisch Architekten in 2010. Passionate about the social dimension of design, Christine is devoted to extending the conversation around sustainability to address issues of social justice and inclusivity. She is particularly committed to promoting democratic modes of living together that create diverse, thriving communities. Christine became office director in 2018 and joined the partnership in the Boston office in 2023.

As Partner in the Boston office of Behnisch Architekten, Robert Matthew (Matt) Noblett has overall responsibility for the performance of the office and the projects conducted within it. Immersed in the world of drawing and model-building since his teens, Matt has built a career over more than 25 years involved with and directing highly complex civic, institutional, academic and commercial projects. His role as a facilitator of the multiple design tasks necessary to advance large-scale design work ensures that decision-making can be made on an expeditious basis while conforming to the rigorous design standards of the office. Matts amicable nature and collaborative working approach make him equally at home with clients and users as with his fellow architects and engineers. He has simultaneously managed a schedule of lectures and periodic teaching appointments at a variety of institutions of higher learning. Matt was elevated to the AIA College of Fellows in 2022.

Jörg Usinger, born in 1966 in Frankfurt/Main, Germany, studied architecture at the RWTH Aachen and the former Technical University of Karlsruhe. After obtaining his diploma in 1993, he joined Behnisch & Partner, the practice of Günter Behnisch, where he was responsible for a number of award winning-competitions and projects. Since 2005, Jörg worked with Behnisch Architekten and gained extensive experience as a project manager in numerous projects. Between 2003 and 2012 he was a visiting lecturer at the Institute for Construction Economics, University of Stuttgart. In 2017 he became partner at Behnisch Architekten Stuttgart and leads the office in collaboration with Michael Innerarity and Stefan Rappold.

Florian Waller, born in 1988 in Ulm, Germany, studied architecture at the Technische Universität Darmstadt, the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and the Technische Universität München, where he received his Master of Arts degree. He gained valuable experience in the film industry for two years before devoting himself to architecture. During his studies, he developed a great affinity for timber construction, deepening his knowledge of the subject through his master thesis. This knowledge and expertise have subsequently carried over into his professional work. He first joined Behnisch Architekten in 2012 and again as architect and project manager in 2017. Working successfully on competitions as well as all phases of project work has helped him to develop broad expertise managing multidisciplinary teams and optimizing the interface between design and realization. Florian joined the partnership in the Stuttgart office in 2024.

Cornelia Wust, born in 1973, studied architecture at the University of Applied Science in Augsburg, Germany. After receiving her diploma in 2000, she began working in the office of Behnisch & Partner in Stuttgart-Sillenbuch. Since 2004 she has worked as an architect in the office of Behnisch Architekten in Stuttgart, and also in Munich, between 2009 and 2012. 2018 she became office director in Stuttgart. She has professional experience in education, office and laboratory design and has served as project manager on a number of high profile and award winning projects. In addition to her professional role as architect at Behnisch Architekten, she has also served, since 2016, as a lecturer at the University of Applied Science Augsburg.