Behnisch Architekturbüro

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, Munich and Weimar.

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.

Maria Hirnsperger earned a Bachelor of Science in Architecture and a Master of Architecture from Technische Universität (TU) Wien. Before joining Behnisch Architekten in 2013, she worked at Scheicher Architekten with an emphasis on competitions. Trained as both an architect and a carpenter, her work focuses on timber and wood construction, from craft knowledge to contemporary applications. Maria leads projects ranging from individual buildings to larger urban districts, often addressing questions of resource use, adaptability, and social interaction. She has led competition and project work for student and residential housing, education buildings, and civic and sports facilities, including Sportpark Ost in Regensburg and Campus Giesing for Versicherungskammer Bayern. A Partner since 2022, she has continued to emphasize an approach focused on construction logic, long-term usability, and social responsibility.

Robert Matthew (Matt) Noblett joined Behnisch Architekten in 2007 and became a Partner in the Boston office in 2009. Since then, he has been responsible for the leadership and delivery of large institutional, civic, and research projects, many of which involve extended timelines and complex stakeholder structures. His work spans early planning, design direction, and construction oversight. He guides projects through major decisions while maintaining continuity of architectural intent, coordinating program, structure, and building systems as requirements change. His recent work includes the Vagelos Laboratory for Energy Science and Technology at the University of Pennsylvania, the Harvard University Science and Engineering Complex, the Karl Miller Center at Portland State University, and multiple University of Baltimore projects including the Angelos Law Center and the Bogomolny Library. In 2022, he was elevated to Fellowship in the American Institute of Architects (FAIA).

Stephan Leissle studied architecture at Technische Universität Dresden and began his career with Behnisch, Behnisch & Partner as an intern in 2003. He joined Behnisch Architekten in 2006 in Stuttgart and moved to the Munich office in 2009 shortly after it was established, supporting its development through both competitions and commissioned work. He has led teams from design through construction management on municipal and institutional projects, including large sports facilities and educational buildings as well as office buildings and town halls. He has also contributed to large-scale campus projects, including the Harvard University Science and Engineering Complex. He became a Partner in 2022 and has continued to oversee multiple project teams with an emphasis on clear project organization and coordinated delivery across phases.

Jörg Usinger studied architecture at Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule (RWTH) Aachen and the former Technical University of Karlsruhe, earning his diploma in 1993. He joined Behnisch & Partner that year and has worked with Behnisch Architekten since 2005, serving in project and quality management roles on technically complex building types. At the firm, he has supported teams through planning, coordination, and delivery for research, healthcare, and mixed-use projects, including the Dieter Morszeck Biorepository, the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) expansion in Heidelberg, and KIT Energy Lab 2.0. From 2003 to 2012, he taught as a visiting lecturer at the University of Stuttgart. Since becoming a Partner in 2017, he has continued to guide projects where technical requirements and coordinated execution shape durable architectural outcomes.

Angie Müller-Puch studied architecture at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and RWTH Aachen, where she earned her diploma. Since 2015, she has been working as an architect at Behnisch Architekten, leading projects in Germany and abroad with a focus on resource-efficient and circular construction. She has won numerous competitions, including the Smart Living Lab in Fribourg and the pilot project “Einfach Bauen” in Zurich, and has directed projects such as the Franco-German School in BUC. Since 2022, she has been a Partner at the Behnisch Architekten Weimar office, where she and her team work on a wide range of international projects with social and sustainable priorities. She actively engages with these themes through her work on juries, as an author, and as a lecturer..

Christine Napolitano received her Master of Architecture from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, where she also earned a Master in Design Studies in Architectural History and Theory. Before joining Behnisch Architekten in 2010, she worked at several practices, including Kyu Sung Woo Architects, where she contributed to the development and realization of the one-million-square-foot Asian Culture Complex in Gwangju, Korea. At Behnisch, she has led project teams through programming, design, interdisciplinary coordination, and construction administration on cultural and campus work, including the Harvard University Science and Engineering Complex. Her experience spans planning and design of cultural and educational spaces, as well as research and teaching facilities. Since becoming a Partner in 2023, Christine has continued to lead projects that prioritize architecture, the public realm, and social and environmental stewardship.

Michael Innerarity studied political science and architecture at North Carolina State University, earning a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Architecture, and he also studied at the Hochschule für Technik Stuttgart. Before joining Behnisch Architekten in 2007, he worked at Toshiko Mori Architect in New York. At Behnisch, he has led teams through planning, design, and coordination on educational, laboratory, and healthcare projects, with an emphasis on organizing complex technical requirements into clear architectural solutions. His experience includes EDGE ElbSide in Hamburg, the National Center for Tumor Diseases expansion in Heidelberg, and the FH Münster Steinfurt Campus reconstructions and parking structure, as well as international studies such as AGORA in Lausanne and the Metropolitan Sheptytsky Center in Lviv. Since becoming a Partner in 2023, he has continued to guide projects where program complexity and delivery constraints are resolved through disciplined coordination and design clarity.

Erik Hegre received his Master of Architecture from the University of Oregon and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. Before joining Behnisch Architekten in 2012, he worked in design/build and fabrication settings that informed a practical understanding of construction methods, materials, and coordination. At Behnisch, he has led technical coordination on complex projects, aligning architectural design with structural, mechanical, and environmental systems, and establishing coordination frameworks from early design analysis through construction. He works across disciplines to maintain continuity between design intent and execution, with recent projects including the Harvard University Science and Engineering Complex and the Vagelos Laboratory for Energy Science and Technology at the University of Pennsylvania. After becoming a Partner in 2023, he has continued to lead projects that emphasize constructability, environmental comfort, and long-term performance requirements.

Florian Edler von Hayek, born in 1981, studied architecture at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar. Thereafter he attended the Institute of Architecture lead by Wolf Prix, Zaha Hadid and Greg Lynn at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna where he completed his Masterclass in Greg Lynn studio. In 2006 he received a six-month Leonardo-da-Vinci Scholarship to work in Paris with the Office R&Sie(n), and has worked with several other German architectural practices. Over the last 9 years, he has extensive experience in the field of architecture at Behnisch Architekten working through all phases, including competition design for award-winning projects like Paul-Winter-Realschule, Neuburg and construction management at the City Hall and public library and education center in Kolbermoor. Since 2014 he is Project Leader for the design and master plan of a 217,000 SF residential housing complex in the Spinnereipark in Kolbermoor (between Munich and Salzburg), which held a DGNB GOLD pre-certificate in the category urban district for its sustainable design. As a Project Manager, he is supervising architects working on projects like the different phases of the residential complex Spinnereipark Kolbermoor, Ludwigsbad Bad Aibling, a mixed use building complex with hotel, shops and restaurants and residential units and Bürocampus Feldkirchen.

Florian Waller studied architecture at Technische Universität (TU) Darmstadt and completed exchange studies at the University of British Columbia, earning a Master of Arts. Before joining Behnisch Architekten in 2012, he also worked in the film industry, experience that informs his attention to sequence and visual communication. After returning to the firm in 2017, he has led teams through competitions and project delivery, coordinating design development and implementation across phases. His work includes educational and civic projects such as the Josef-Schwarz-Schule in Heilbronn, the further development of the Bernhausen school area in Filderstadt, and refurbishments for sports and administrative buildings in Lorch and Schwäbisch Gmünd. A Partner since 2024, he has continued to develop projects that test innovative strategies with natural material.

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 Architekturbüro 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 Architekturbüro, she has also served, since 2016, as a lecturer at the University of Applied Science Augsburg.