CV english - Gernot Minke

Summary of professional career

Gernot Minke studied architecture and city planning, got his doctor´s degree in architecture and is retired professor of University of Kassel, Germany. There he founded the Building Research Institute in 1974, where he directed 50 research and development projects in the field of low-cost-housing, sustainable architecture, building with earth, straw bales, bamboo and green roofs. Worldwide more than 100 of his ecological and sustainable structures were built. He was invited speaker at 70 international conferences and gave lectures and workshops in all continents. He published more than 300 scientific articles and is author of several text books. Most known are: „Building with Earth“, which was published in 12 languages, „Building with Straw“ and „Building with Bamboo“.

Education and professional experience:

April 1937
Born in Rostock, Germany

1957 – 1964
Study of architecture and city planning at Hannover and Berlin, Germany. Diploma in architecture.

1966
first exhibition of paintings and graphics

1964 – 1968
Research Assistant of Prof. Dr.-Ing. Frei Otto at the Institute of Light Weight Structures, University of Stuttgart.

1965 – 1969
Doctoral dissertation on evaluating the efficiency of structures.

Since 1967
Consultant structural architect for light weight structures. Developments: ribbed timber shells; cable-reinforced pneumatic structures; membrane structures for sport activities, street covers, bus stop shelters; self-help light-weight structures for housing and
kindergartens.

1971 – 1972
Director of the „Institut für Umweltplanung“ (Institute of Environmental Planning), Ulm

1974 – 2011
Professor at Kassel University.
Founder and director of the Building Research Institute, department of Architecture, University of Kassel. Research fields: Development of new and refined earth construction techniques. Earth-quake resistant building techniques with loam, pumice and bamboo. Bamboo grid-shell structures. Building with straw bales. Green roofs and vertical gardens. Development of
construction techniques for domes of adobes and straw bales.

Since 1979
Private architect, author, lecturer, consultant in the field of ecological sustainable architecture, earth construction techniques, vault and dome structures from adobes, straw bales or bamboo, buildimg with straw bales, green roofs, vertical gardens, low-cost-housing.

Guest professor / guest lecturer:

– Technical University Hannover, Germany: 1967, 1970

– School of Architecture, Portsmouth, England: 1967, 1968, 1969

– Hochschule für Gestaltung, Ulm, Germany: 1967-1969

– Technische Hogeschool Delft, Netherlands: 1970, 1971, 1972

– Technische Hogeschool Eindhoven, Netherlands: 1972, 1973

– Gesamthochschule Kassel, Germany: 1972

– Hochschule für bildende Künste Hamburg, Germany: 1973

– Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico: 1975

– State University of New York at Buffalo, USA: 1975

– Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela: 1977

– Universidad Francisco Marroquin, Guatemala, Guatemala: 1978, 1980

– Florida A & M University, Tallahassee, USA: 1980

– Universidad Catolica, Asuncion, Paraguay: 1982

– Slovenská Technická Univerzita Bratislava, Slovakia: 1991, 1993

– ITESO; Guadalajara, Mexico, 2001

– UFPR, Curritiba, Brazil, 2001

– ITESO, Guadalajara, Mexico 2002

– University Calgari, Italy 2002

– UFRS, Porto Alegre, Brazil 2003

– UBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina 2004

– LUMSA, Rome, Italy 2006, 2007

– UNIVALLE, Cali, Colombia, 2009

– LUMSA Rome, Italy 2010,2011,2012

– UNA Asuncion, Paraguay 2012

– Politecnico Torino, Italy 2012

– Universidad de Ibagué, Colombia 2014

Experience as international expert:

1978 Development of earthquake resistant housing projects for Guatemala

1986 -1988 Analysis of passive climatization in rural housing of India,

1989 Development of a low-cost-housing prototype built of bamboo, for gtz Ecuador

1989 Development of a low-cost housing prototype built of earth, Ecuador

1990 – 1994 Development of energy saving houses built of earth with passive climatization for India

2001 Development of an earthquake resistant multipurpose hall of adobes, La Paz, Bolivia

2001, 2002 Development of an earthquake resistant residence for Chile

2002 Development of houses for orphans, Kaliningrad, Russia

2002, 2003 Restoration of old castles and forts, Sultanate Oman

2003 – 2006 Development of low-cost-housing prototypes for landless people in Brazil

2009 Consultation of restoration work of historic earth settlements and castles in Saudi Arabia

Books

„Building with Bamboo“, Birkhäuser Basel/Berlin, third and revised edition 2023, 176 p.
„Dächer begrünen“, Ökobuchverlag Rastede, 6. ed. 2022, 93 p.
„Manual de construcao com terra“, solisluna editora, Brasil 2022, 223 p.
„Handbuch Strohballenbau“ (with B. Krick), Ökobuch Verlag Rastede, 4. enlarged ed. 2022, 168 p.
„Handbuch Lehmbau“, Ökobuch Verlag Rastede, 10. enl. ed. 2022, 228 p.
„Building with Earth“, Birkhäuser Basel/Berlin, fourth and revised edition 2021, 224 p.
„Diseno interior en tierra“, Cable a tierra, Santiago, Chile 2017; Icaria, Barcelona 2015, 46 p.
„Manual de construcción con fardos de paja“ (with B. Krick), Cable a tierra, Santiago, Chile 2017; Icaria Barcelona 2018, 150 p.
„Cúpulas y bóvedas, obras de arquitecto Gernot Minke desde el ano 1975 hasta 2015“, Icaria Barcelona 2017, 62 p.
„Muros y Revoques de tierra“, Cable a tierra, Santiago, Chile 2017. 80 p.
„Cúpulas de tierra optimizadas“, Cable a tierra, Santiago, Chile 2017. 48 p.
„Muros de barro“; Icaria, Barcelona 2015, 48 p.
„Muros y fachadas verdes“, Jardines verticales, Icaria, Barcelona 2015
“Muros de barro”, Bariloche, Argentinien 2014; Barcelona 2015
”Techos Verdes, ( 3. enlarged ed.), Bariloche, Argentina 2014
”Revoques de barro”, Cali, Kolumbien 2013; Barcelona 2014
”Manual de construcción con tierra”, Bariloche, Argentina 2013
„Building with Bamboo – Design and Technology of a Sustainable Architechture“, Cali, Colombia 2012
„Building with Bamboo – Design and Technology of a Sustainable Architechture“, Birkhäuser Publisher Basel 2012
„Muros y fachadas verdes y jardines verticales – Sistemas y plantas, funciones y aplicaciones“,Cali 2012; Bariloche 2013; Barcelona 2014
„Cúpulas y Bóvedas para vivir y trabajar, para hacer música y meditar“, Cali 2011
“Gewölbe zum Wohnen und Arbeiten, zum Musizieren und Meditieren”, Gnevsdorf, Germany 2011
„Dächer begrünen – einfach und wirkungsvoll“, 4. erweiterte Auflage, Staufen, Germany 2010
“Manual de construcción en tierra“,Teruel, Spain 2010
„Techos Verdes“, 88 S., 2. Auflage, Cali, Colombia 2010
“Techos Verdes”, 88 S., Teruel, Spain 2010
“Manual de construcción con bambú“, Cali, Colombia 2010
“Handbuch Strohballenbau”, (with B. Krick) Staufen 2009
“Handbuch Lehmbau”, Staufen, Germany 2009
“Manual de construcción en tierra“ – la tierra como material de construcción y sus aplicación en la arquitectura actual“, Montevideo, Uruguay 2008 (3. erw. Auflage)
“Manual de construcción con fardos de paja”, Montevideo, Uruguay 2006 (with F. Mahlke)
“Building with Earth”, Basel/Berlin 2006
“Techos verdes”, 88 S., Montevideo, Uruguay 2004
“Building with Straw“, Basel/Berlin 2005 (with F. Mahlke)
“Der Strohballenbau”, Staufen 2004 (with F. Mahlke)
“Construction manual for earthquake resistant houses built of earth“, Eschborn, Germany 2002
“Das neue Lehmbau-Handbuch“,Staufen, Germany 2001
“Manual de construccion para viviendas antisismicas de tierra“. Kassel, Germany 2001
“Earth Construction Handbook“, WIT Press, Southampton, UK 2001
“Experimentelles Bauen“, Staufen, Germany 1995
„Passive Building Design – A Handbook of Natural Climatic Control“ (with N.K. Bansal and G.Hauser), Amsterdam 1994
„Building with Pumice“, Eschborn, Germany 1990 (with Klaus Grasser)
„Climatic Zones and Rural Housing in India“, Jülich 1988 (with N.K. Bansal)
„Lehmbauforschung“, Kassel, Germany 1984
„Häuser mit grünem Pelz“, Frankfurt 1982 (with G.Witter)
„Erdbebensichere Low-Cost-Bauten für Guatemala“, Kassel 1980 (with J.Asturias und A. Lau)
„Low-Cost-Bauen“, Kassel, Germany 1980
„Alternatives Bauen – Untersuchungen und Erfahrungen mit alternativen Baustoffen und Selbstbauweisen“, Kassel, Germany 1980
„Zur Effizienz von Tragwerken“, Stuttgart, Germany 1970
„Holzflächentragwerke“, Stuttgart, Germany 1969

Articles:

More than 300 articles in German, French, English, Italian, Dutch, Spanish, Japanese, Uruguayan and Columbian magazines and books

Invited Speaker at 70 international conferences:

The Netherlands 1972, Canada 1974, Germany 1974, England 1975, USA 1976, Thailand 1977, Brasil 1978,Netherlands 1982, Egypt 1982, France 1983, Australia 1983, Zwitzerland 1984, Belgium 1984, Hungary 1986, India 1989, Cuba 1989, Germany 1990, CSFR 1990, CSFR 1991, Egypt 1993, Italy 1993, Portugal 1993, Great Britain 1994, Cuba 1994, Sweden 1995, Cuba 1995, Corea 1995, Egypt 1996, Japan 1997, Belgium 1997, Italy 1998 Yemen 2000, England 2000, Cuba 2001, Brazil 2001, Germany 2002,Spain 2003, Germany 2003, Chile 2003, Ecuador 2004, Peru 2005, Cuba 2005, Corea 2005, Germany 2005, Italy 2005, Argentina 2006, Colombia 2006, Italy 2006, Brasil 2006, India 2007, Chech Republic 2007, Greece 2007, Corea 2008, Germany 2008, Colombia 2008, Italy 2009, Czech Republik 2009, Spain 2009, Belgium 2009, Netherlands 2011, Polonia 2011, Slowakia 2011, Chech Republic 2011, Brasil 2012, Brasil 2013, Cuba 2014, Italy 2016, Brasil 2017, Australia 2018, New Zealand 2018

Exhibitions of paintings and graphics

Individual Exhibitions:

1966 Galerie Putty, Berlin

1970 Haus Schöfl, Esslingen

1984 Galerie Gerischer-Hemrich, Düsseldorf

1995 Privatgalerie Dr. Siedentopp, Kassel

1995 Galerie Studio Kausch, Kassel

1996 Galerie Moering, Wiesbaden

2000 Galerie Buchholz, Hannover

2004 Galerie Schloß Schönfeld, Kassel

2005 Rathaus-Galerie, Vellmar

2007 Ladengalerie Carrots & Coffee, Hannover

2008 Zentrum für Umweltbewusstes Bauen, Kassel

2012 Café Buch-Oase, Kassel

2013 Museo de Arquitectura Buenos Aires, Argentinien

2014 Café Buch-Oase, Kassel

2015 Gemeindesaal Kirche Niestetal-Sandershausen

2016 Institut für systemische Therapie, Kassel

2017 Rathaus-Galerie Kassel

2017 Heilhaus, Kassel

2018 Live am Wasserturm, Kassel

2019 Instituto Cultural, Asunción, Paraguay

2019 Kunst im Landgericht, Kassel

2020 Galerie Gondwana, Berlin

2021 Rathaus-Galerie, Lohfelden

2022 Galerie, Bahnhof Fürstenwald, Calden

2023 Galerie für aktuelle Kunst, Bad Zwesten-Niederurff

2023 Museum Kloster Hasungen, Zierenberg-Burghasungen

2023 Galerie Hallenbad Ost, Kassel