Alumni Profile: Michelle Weck

After one year of landscape architecture at the Technical University of Munich, I realized that I wanted to supplement my creative ideas with a technical foundation. I wanted to do more than just develop designs based on aesthetics; I wanted to make sustainable decisions grounded in data, calculations, and knowledge of building physics—that was the desire that led me to E2D. Here I found exactly the combination I’d been looking for: design, building physics, and sustainability intertwine and together form the foundation for future-proof projects. Augsburg itself, by the way, also won me over quickly—with summer swimming fun, the winter Christmas market, and a vibrant art and student scene.

What I remember most about my studies isn’t a single project, but rather an open learning culture: The professors and project partners gave us the freedom to develop our own ideas. Despite clear guidelines, we were able to build on our personal strengths and received support from the university—like a tailwind.

One project, however, left a particularly strong impression on me: the clay project in the ENE 1 module as part of “Experia—Augsburg Children’s University.” I had the opportunity to explore how architecture can convey knowledge while simultaneously sparking enthusiasm for the natural sciences, the environment, and technology. This led to the idea of a clay block, in which the building itself becomes part of the learning process—the natural building material is not only used sustainably but also made visible and tangible. For this design, I received recognition from the WBG, something I’m still proud of today.

My studies taught me to recognize the intersections between different disciplines and to find a common thread through the maze of demands and conflicting goals. This ability to stay calm during stressful times is not just a tool I picked up during my studies—it has become an inner compass that helps me stay on course both in my professional life and in my personal life.

At the Bavarian State Office for the Environment, I’m overseeing the development of a sustainable pavilion for the State Garden Show—from the first sketch to concepts, 3D models, and requests for proposals, all the way through to construction and manufacturing supervision. After completion, I organize the event programs and plan the dismantling and reassembly at a new location. Accompanying a project throughout its entire life cycle, from the initial idea to reuse, is particularly appealing to me.

In my day-to-day work, the focus is more on organization, coordination, and project management than on free, creative design work—and it is precisely this responsibility for implementation that shows me how important the foundations laid during my studies are for successfully guiding projects from concept to completion.