Prof. Frank Bauer

Frank Bauer inquires into emerging methods of computational design and manufacturing in interdisciplinary and experimental formats. He holds the Professorship of Digital Fabrication at University of Applied Sciences Erfurt (FHE), embedding and probing workflows and technologies in industry. His ongoing dissertation engineers operative, instrumental and material extensions of digital modelling and making processes in computational art production.

Before graduating in Architecture at UdK Berlin with stays at UIC/IIT Chicago, he studied historical and political sciences at ALU Freiburg, FU Berlin and JGU Mainz. He held positions at the Fondation Vasarely and KWY Lisbon and co-founded Büro Vogel Bauer, where his work in the visualization, modeling and generation of manufacture data allows him insights into practices of artists like Olafur Eliasson and Nevin Aladağ.

Further teaching efforts are situated between the M.A. Open Design, the B.A./M.A. Architecture programs at UdK, the research-based M.A. Design & Computation (UdK/TUB) as well as the Design for Manufacture MArch at The Bartlett School of Architecture (UCL) – bridging the broader agenda of »Matters of Activity« outwards and shifting discourses from possibility to constraint spaces of technology.

Field
Architecture
Projects
Symbolic Material (Pre-Doctoral Researcher)
Material Form Function (Pre-Doctoral Researcher)
Symbolic Material (Associated Member)
Material Form Function (Associated Member)
Email Address
frank.bauer [​at​] fh-erfurt.de
Website
http://www.buerovogelbauer.de
ORCID ID
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4669-3397
Address

Cluster of Excellence
»Matters of Activity«
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Sophienstr. 22a
10178 Berlin

Publications

Edited Volumes & Exhibition Catalogues

Bauer, F., Kim, Y., Marienberg, S., Schäffner, W. eds. 2024. Toward a New Culture of the Material. Berlin: De Gruyter.
https://doi.org/10.1515/ 9783110714883

Articles in Edited Volumes

Bauer, F., Kim, Y., Marienberg, S., Schäffner, W. 2024. »Inroduction: Toward a New Culture of the Material.« In Toward a New Culture of the Material, edited by Bauer, F., Kim, Y., Marienberg, S., Schäffner, W. Berlin: De Gruyter, 3–7.
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110714883-001

Bauer, F. 2022. »From Renaissance Precision to Computational Uncertainty.« In Italian Imprints: Influences and Issues in Architectural Culture in the Long Twentieth Century, edited by Costanzo, D., Leach, A. London: Bloomsbury, 81-94.

Bauer, F., Skafte, L. 2021. »Persistent Modelling of the Built. A Collective Experiment Merging Structural Preservation and Digital Design Between Academia and Industry.« In Design Commons - Practices, Processes and Crossovers, edited by Bruyns, G., Kousoulas, S. London: Springer.

Bauer, F. 2021. »Grids of Contemporary Art Production: Artistic, Computational, Craft and Performative Making.« In The Arts of the Grid. Interdisciplinary Insights on Gridded Modalities in Conversation with the Arts, edited by Bigon, L., Shaked, N. Berlin: De Gruyter, 81-94.
https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110733228/html

Bauer, F. 2018. »Victor Vasarely et l‘Integration Architecturale.« In Victor Vasarely: MultipliCité, Lyon: Fage, 63-68.

Bauer, F. 2017. »Body and Space, Gothic and Cubism.« In Architecture and the Body, Science and Culture, edited by Sexton, K. London: Routledge, 177 - 195.

Articles

Bauer, F. 2021. »(Re-)Constructing, Segmenting, Bending, Coating. Persistence and Process in an Aluminium Alloy Manufacturing Process.« In Materials & Time. A project at the crossroad between natural sciences and humanities, special issue. Edited by Bensaude-Vincent, B. et al. Hypothesis.
https://materials.hypotheses.org/re-constructing-segmenting-bending-coating-on-moments-of-affordance-and-persistence-in-an-aluminium-alloy-manufacturing-process-frank-bauer

Bauer, F. 2021. »On Pristine Boxes and Primeval Huts.« Drawing Matter.
https://drawingmatter.org/on-pristine-boxes-and-primeval-huts

Bauer, F. 2021. »On the Visual Agency of Manufacturing Models.« In Medios Digitales y Arquitectura, special issue. Bitacora, 46: 130 - 139.

Bauer, F., Skafte, L. 2017. »A Machine for the Future? Exploting Flaws between the Manual and the Digital.« PROTOCOL, 9: 122-129.

Bauer, F. 2017. »Vom Denkmal oder Hundert Jahre später.« MOOR, 4: 22-25.

Bauer, F. 2015. »Les Ouevres Monumentales.« In La Foundation Vasarely, special issue. Beaux Arts Magazine, 7: 47-52.

Knowledge Transfer

Exhibitions

Beyer, Bastian (organizer), Bauer, Frank (organizer). Growing Sensecapes. Open Design Master's Students' Projects Exhibited at Humboldt Lab. Exhibition. Cluster of Excellence Matters of Activity, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Humboldt Forum. 22 July 2022 - 25 July 2022.
https://www.matters-of-activity.de/en/activities/8774/growing-sensecapes

Talks & Events

Talks & Presentations

Bauer, F., Gladitz, V., Otto, M., Zill, T. Wood Campus Suhl. Talk at the Thüringer Holzbautag, Thuringian Timber Construction – Emerging Programs and Protagonists. 12 October 2023.

Bauer, F., Gladitz, V., Otto, M., Zill, T. Wood Campus Suhl. Talk at the Thüringer Holzbautag, Thuringian Timber Construction – Emerging Programs and Protagonists. 12 October 2023.

Beyer, B., Bauer, F., Jalkh, H., Schäffner, W. Constructing activity. Keynote at the Trazos biomateriales, Biomaterial Traces Conversation. Centro Cultural Recoleta, Buenos Aires. 2 December 2022.
http://www.centroculturalrecoleta.org/agenda/trazos-biomateriales

Weber, R., Werner, B. M., Eger Domingos, D., Yang, B., Kim, Y., Almpani-Lekka, D., Bauer, F., Hehemeyer-Cürten, J., Rosenthal, N., Siquera Rodrigues, L., Shams, B., Schneider, M., Rasehorn, F. Indoor Water Bio-Remediation System. Poster presentation at the Scaling Matters: From the Lab to the Field, MoA Retreat at the Landgut Stober. Cluster of Excellence Matters of Activity, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. 13 September 2022.
https://www.matters-of-activity.de/en/activities/9125/scaling-matters-from-the-lab-to-the-field

Weber, R., Werner, B. M., Eger Domingos, D., Yang, B., Kim, Y., Almpani-Lekka, D., Bauer, F., Hehemeyer-Cürten, J., Rosenthal, N., Siquera Rodrigues, L., Shams, B., Schneider, M., Rasehorn, F. »Minus Zero. Interspecies Design in Underwater Environments«. Talk at the Scaling Matters: From the Lab to the Field, Landgut Stober. Cluster of Excellence Matters of Activity, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. 13 September 2022.
https://www.matters-of-activity.de/en/activities/9125/scaling-matters-from-the-lab-to-the-field

Bauer, F., Kim, Y., Letellier, J. Three Attempts at Human and Non-Human Agencies. Talk at the Brown Bag Brunch. Cluster of Excellence Matters of Activity, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Virtual. 15 June 2021.

Bauer, F., Kim, Y. Points in Making. Talk at the 2nd Annual Conference »Tipping Points: Plastic, Contingent and Unstable Matters«, Contingent Matters. Cluster of Excellence Matters of Activity, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Hybrid. 17 November 2021.

Bauer, F. Constraint-driven Design. Talk at the Histories and Habitations Lectures. Design for Manufacture MArch. The Bartlett (UCL), London. 25 February 2021.

Bauer, F. Rebuild Curve. On the Materialisation of Virtual Models in Contemporary Art Fabrication. Panel Presentation at the Association for Art History Annual Conference 2021, Matter (Im)materials and Materiality: On the life of digital artworks. University of Birmingham. 14 April 2021.

Bauer, F. Situating CAD/CAM. Panel Presentation at the 11th International New Materialisms Conference: New Materialist Informatics. Computing and Worldmaking, Transdisciplinary Methodologies and Interventions. 24 March 2021.

Bauer, F. Technologische Möglichkeits- und Bedingungsräume. Cluster of Excellence »Matters of Activity«, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Online Teaching Working Group, Berlin University of the Arts. Virtual. 21 April 2021.

Bauer, F. Trans-disciplinary Teaching as a Turn from Possibility to Constraint Space. Panel Presentation at the Online Education. Teaching in a Time of Change. AMPS, PARADE, Routledge. 21 April 2021.

Bauer, F. Volute versus Vortex. Ein Vergleich von Bedingungen der Freiformfertigung. Talk at the Transformationen – Zeichen und ihre Objekte im Wandel. Internationaler Kongress der Deutschen Geselschaft für Semiotik, Transformationen in Architektur und Städtebau. Technische Universität Chemnitz. Virtual. 29 September 2021.

Bauer, F. Das Bild als Entwurf. Symposium »Architektonische Darstellung«, FATUK, Technical University Kaiserslautern. 24 January 2020.

Bauer, F. On a Convergence of Artist, Instrument Maker, and Fabricator. Panel Presentation at the The Multidisciplinary Grid 2020, Holon Institute of Technology, Tel Aviv. 23 November 2020.

Bauer, F. On Hammers, Robots and Cannons. On the Ontologies of Computational Research in Architecture. Panel Presentation at the AHRA 16th Annual PhD Student Symposium, Conveying. Architectural Humanities Research Association, Newcastle University. 22 April 2020.

Bauer, F. Realizing the Albertian Paradigm? Italian Imprints: Influences and Issues in Architectural Culture in the Long Twentieth Century, Pennsylvania State University. 17 January 2020.

Events & Workshops

Bauer, F., Guiducci, L., Hathroubi, S., Kim, Y., Marienberg, S., Miodragović, N., Nestler, A., Rešetar, I., Winkler, C. 2nd Annual Conference »Tipping Points. Plastic, Contingent and Unstable Matters«. Cluster of Excellence »Matters of Activity«, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Hybrid. 16 November 2021 - 17 November 2021.
www.matters-of-activity.de/de/activities/6581/tipping-points-plastic-contingent-and-unstable-matters

Bauer, F., Kim, Y., Wegener, F. Share Your Toolbox. at the Brown Bag Brunch, Cluster »Matters of Activity«. Virtual. 16 March 2021.

Bauer, F., Schneider, M. Constraints as Chance. 11th International New Materialisms Conference: New Materialist Informatics, Computing and Worldmaking. University of Kassel. Virtual. 22 March 2021.

Teaching & Supervision

Teaching & Courses

Bauer, F., Lager, M., Sachse, O. LogDesignBuild Bauhütte. Teaching Research Project, University of Applied Sciences Erfurt. 1 April 2024 - 31 October 2024.

Bauer, F., Kaindl, S. Toolbox. Seminar, University of Applied Sciences Erfurt. 1 October 2023 - 31 March 2024.

Bauer, F., Sachse, O. Bauhütte Studio. Teaching Research Project, University of Appled Sciences Erfurt. 1 October 2023 - 31 March 2024.

Bauer, F., Sachse, O. Übrig geblieben und zweckentfremdet. Teaching Research Project, University of Applied Sciences Efurt. 1 April 2023 - 28 July 2023.

Bauer, F. Adaptive Activity. Design Studio., Design & Computation M.A., Universität der Künste Berlin and Technische Universität Berlin. 1 October 2023 - 31 March 2024.

Bauer, F., Beyer, B., González, J. C., Iglesias, R. M., Le Calvé, M. Growing Senses, Laboratory Project. Course within the Master’s Program “Open Design”, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin/Universidad de Buenos Aires. 13 May 2022 - 22 July 2022.

Bauer, F. Collaborative Wood Studio. Teaching Research Project, University of Applied Sciences Erfurt. 10 October 2022 - 1 March 2023.

Beyer, Bastian, Bauer, Frank, Cojal González, José, Le Calvé, Maxime. »Open Design« Master Program. Course within the Master’s Program “Open Design”, Matters of Activity, Humboldt University Berlin; University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires. 29 May 2022 - 22 July 2022.

Bauer, F., with guests Kim, Y., Rasehorn, F., Schneider, M., Tebbe, M., Wenig, C., Yang, B., Situated Digital Agencies. Seminar, B.A./M.A. Architecture. Universität der Künste Berlin. 16 April 2021 - 16 July 2021.
https://www.udk-berlin.de/studium/architektur/fachgebiete/digitales-und-experimentelles-entwerfen/seminar-situated-digital-agencies/

Bauer, F. Design for Manufacture MArch. Thesis Tutor. The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL. Since 31 May 2021.
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/bartlett/architecture/programmes/postgraduate/march-design-for-manufacture

Bauer, F. Instrumentations. Design Studio., Design & Computation M.A., Universität der Künste Berlin and Technische Universität Berlin. 19 October 2021 - 29 March 2022.

Bauer, F. Iterations. Design Studio., Design & Computation M.A. and Architecture B.A./M.A. Universität der Künste Berlin and Technische Universität Berlin. 1 November 2020 - 14 May 2021.
https://www.udk-berlin.de/studium/architektur/fachgebiete/digitales-und-experimentelles-entwerfen/entwurf-maba-iterations/

(Co)Supervisions of Qualification Theses

Bauer, F., Sachse, O. 2024. First supervisor of Hantel, H.; Henk, L.-M.; Hornung, S.; Hopfenzitz, J.; König, S.; May, H.; Steinike, L.; Uetrecht, S.. Wood Campus Suhl. Bachelor thesis, University of Applied Sciences Erfurt.

Bauer, F., Seeger, A., Simon. A. 2023. First supervisor of Gladitz, V.; Leutner, A.; Otto, M.. Workshop Suhl. Master thesis, University of Applied Sciences Erfurt.

Awards & Funding

External Grants, Fellowships, Scholarships & Residencies

Bauer, F. 2025. Nomadic Workshop, eTeach Network Thüringen. Project funding.

Bauer, F., Pearce, T. 2024. LogDesignBuild Suhl, eTeach Network Thüringen. Project funding.

Bauer, F. 2024. Carl Zeiss Stiftung Forschungsstart, University of Applied Sciences Erfurt. Fellowship.
https://www.carl-zeiss-stiftung.de/themen-projekte/uebersicht-projekte/detail/scalar-robotic-thinnings-fabrication-skalare-potentiale-robotischer-fabrikation-mit-schwachholzsortimenten

Bauer, F., Grosser, H., Schäffner, W. 2021. Virtual Matters Lab. DAAD, Project funding. »Open Design« M. A., Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Universidad de Buenos Aires.

Bauer, F., Schäffner, W., Palz, N. 2018. Elsa-Neumann-Stipendium for Frank Bauer. Scholarship. Funded from 04.2018 to 06.2021 by Land Berlin.

Offered & Deputy Professorships

Bauer, F. 2023. Professor of Digital Fabrication. University of Applied Sciences Erfurt.
https://www.fh-erfurt.de/fakultaeten-und-fachrichtungen/architektur-und-stadtplanung/architektur/fachgebiete/digitale-fabrikation

Bauer, F. 2022. Guest Lecturer of Digital Fabrication. University of Applied Sciences Erfurt.

Networks

Research Stays at Another Institution

Beyer, Bastian, Bauer, Frank. Research stay at the University of Buenos Aires. University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires. Funded by Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD). 19 November 2022 - 3 December 2022.

Bauer, F. IKKM Mentoring Program. Mentor A.-S.-Lehmann. Internationales Kolleg für Kulturtechnikforschung und Medienphilosophie, Bauhaus University Weimar. 10 January 2020.

Review Activities & Expertises

Bauer, F. 2021 - 2022. Board of Reviewers. Matter. Prospects for a New Materialist Informatics. Special Issue, the 11th New Materialisms Conference.

Memberships

Bauer, F. 2018 - 2019. Margot and Paul Baumgarten-Scholarship Committee. Institute of Archietcture and Urban Planning. Berlin University of the Arts.