People

Oliver Schürer

E-Mail Consultation-hour on appointment.

Research Projects Mediaarchitecture; Discourse events, applied and experimental research The Architectural Profession, on architectural forms of life Theory of Media and Technology in Architecture Publications Books and Book Editorships Publications in Scientific Journals Contributions to Books Contributions to Proceedings Talks and Poster Presentations Reviews Personal profile listed at the universities Research Portal Teaching in recent semesters Exhibition archdiploma2009

Oliver Schürer, Senior Scientist Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn.

Author, Curator, Editor, Senior Scientist at the Department of Architecture Theory, Vienna University of Technology. Initially trained as a master carpenter, he received his architectural training at Vienna University of Technology and graduated with a thesis on the concepts of space and time in the work of the French philosopher Gilles Deleuze. His doctorate developed a thesis on ‚Automation and Empathy; Evolution of building automation from functionalist concepts to contemporary research concerning conscious systems’. He did numerous research projects, guest lectures, events, and international publications on the topics “technology and media in architecture” and “architecture as socio-cultural field.”

Since 2000, Oliver Schürer conducts various research projects within the field of study “technology and media in architecture,” focusing on theory, commercial development and experimental installations of large-scale media surfaces, as well as integration of alternative social media. As part of this research he curated a couple of large-scale events. In 2007, he was co-curator of the Media Architecture Conference at “Central Saint Martins Innovation,” University of the Arts, London. He was curator of the Media Facades Conference Berlin 2008 at Deutsches Architekturzentrum DAZ (German Center for Architecture) and co-curator of Media Facades Festival Berlin 2008. In 2010, he co-curated the Media Architecture Biennale and curated the Media Architecture Conference in Vienna.

As visiting researcher at the Department of CAAD at ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich) (2006-2009), he co-founded the “Theory of Technology in Architecture” research. Current research projects are “Public Space 2.0” and “Automatism in Architecture”.

Since 2004, he researches within the field of study “architecture as socio-cultural field” that is partly creative industry, partly art form. Here he conducts various projects pertaining to the relationship between the different meanings and aspects of architecture: as design discipline for the built environment, as scene, as economical trade, as creative industry, as lifestyle, and last but not least, as way to earn a living.

The project “architektur:consulting” investigated issues of architectural expertise through case studies and qualitative comparisons. “Berufsfeld Architektur 1.0” (The architectural profession 1.0) is an inventory and time diagnosis of Austrian architects’ and planners’ life and working conditions. Based on the first empirical investigation into detailed data about the architecture domain in German-speaking countries, it resulted in a study done with experts on situation of professional conduct, perspectives for entry into professional life, social networks, market research, creative industry, work sociology, liberal professions and architecture, and the comparison between architecture and other creative industries as contributors to national and European economies. Current “Berufsfeld Architektur 2.0” uses qualitative survey on individual motives in relations to personal and societal values’ of architectural protagonists between social engagement, artistic-cultural achievements, and life and working conditions.