Hermann Kaufmann

Coming from a long line of carpenters, Kaufmann spent his childhood around the sawills of Vorarlberg, a heavily wooded region. Because of this, he learned the characteristics and possibilities of wood as a material, which he deeply loves.

Nearly all the members of his family have a close or distant connection with wood and building. The family business is known for being one of the European leaders in the industrial construction of systèmes-bois ("timber systems") and his uncle Leopold Kaufmann, developed innovative concepts of timber construction, founded on carpentry techniques.

Kaufmann studied architecture at the Technical University of Innsbruck and the Technical University of Vienna, before returning to Vorarlberg.

After studying, Kauffmann established his agency Hermann Kaufmann ZT with Christian Lenz in Schwarzach.

During this time, this small Austrian region – traditionally associate with the timber industry – saw the emergence of a new movement giving rise to a revolution of young inventors called the "Baukünstler" (literally, "Building artists"). At Vorarlberg they founded an architectural laboratory focusing on sustainability, simplicity and ecology.

With his colleagues at Voralberg, Kaufmann contributed to the project and the idea of an eco.-friendly habitat accessible to all. Timber, which naturally became his material of choice, let him construct innovative buildings to research the optimal balance between harnessing energy and the sustainable use of resources.

Kaufmann is the master builder of the first "energy-neutral" collective housing project (with low energy consumption, it supplies its own energy needs) and today his work has turned towards "energy-positive" buildings that produce more energy than they consume.

Kauffman is very fond of the region, and is interested in the restoration of ancient buildings. His fine and delicate approach in sensitive villages shows how this "radical" architect likes to work within the existing heritage and countryside.

Kaufmann was visiting professor at the Technical University of Graz, then at the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia. Since 2002, he has worked for the Technical University of Munich, as a timber construction specialist.

On 24 September 2007, Kaufmann was awarded the first Global Award for Sustainable Architecture.[1]

• Hausladen, Gerhard; Kaufmann, Hermann (2008). Hausladen, Gerhard; Saldanha, Michael; Liedl, Petra (eds.). ClimateSkin : building-skin concepts that can do more with less energy. ISBN 978-3-7643-7725-0.
• Kaufmann, Hermann; Krötsch, Stefan; Winter, Stefan (2018). Manual of Multistorey Timber Construction. ISBN 978-3955533946.

• Official website
• Global Award for Sustainable Architecture