Michael Ulrich Hensel
Michael Ulrich Hensel (born 1965, Celle, Germany) is an architect, researcher, educator and writer. He is a founding member of OCEAN (1994) and founding chairman of the OCEAN Design Research Association (2008). Since 2007 he is board member of BIONIS – The Biomimetics Network for Industrial Sustainability.
He is currently Professor for Research by Design at AHO – The Oslo School of Architecture and Design in Oslo, Norway, where he collaborates with Prof. Dr. Birger Ragnvald Sevaldson. Previously he taught at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London (1993 to 2009), where he developed the curriculum for and co-directed the Emergent Technologies and Design Program (2001 to 2009). In this context he directed the design and construction of experimental projects in an environmentally sensitive site in Chilean Patagonia. He held visiting professorships and innovation fellowships and taught and lectured in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Australia.
His research interests and efforts include formulating the theoretical and methodological framework for Performance-oriented Architecture and developing a biological paradigm for design and sustainability of the built environment.
Selected Bibliography
Authored Books
Hensel, M., Menges, A. and Weinstock, M. (2010). Emergent Technologies and Design - Towards a Biological Paradigm for Architecture. London: Routledge.
Hensel, M. and Verebes, T. (1999). Urbanisations. London: Serial Books Architecture & Urbanism 3.
Edited Books and Journals
Ertas, H., Hensel, M. and Sunguroglu Hensel, D. (2010). Turkey - At the Threshold. London: AD Wiley.
Hensel, M., Hight, C. and Menges, A. Eds. (2009). Space Reader – Heterogeneous Space in Architecture. London: John Wiley and Sons.
Hensel, M. and Menges, A. Eds. (2008). Form Follows Performance – Zur Wechselwirkung von Material, Struktur, Umwelt. Arch+ 188.
Hensel, M. and Menges, A. Eds. (2008). Versatility and Vicissitude – Performance in Morpho-Ecological Design. London: AD Wiley.
Hensel, M., Kamvari, O. and Menges, A. (2008). Performance-oriented Design. Iranian Architecture Quarterly Vol. 8 No. 31/32.
Hensel, M. and Menges, A. Eds. (2006). Morpho-Ecologies. London: AA Publications.
Hensel, M., Menges, A. and Weinstock, M. Eds. (2006). Techniques and Technologies in Morphogenetic Design. London: AD Wiley.
Hensel, M., Menges, A. and Weinstock, M. Eds. (2004). Emergence: Morphogenetic Design Strategies. London: AD Wiley.
Hensel M. and Sevaldson B. Eds. (2002). The Space of Extremes. Oslo: AHO Oslo School of Architecture and Design.
Articles, Essays and Papers
Ertas, H., Hensel, M. and Sunguroglu Hensel. (2010). 'Turkey – At the Threshold’. Turkey: At the Threshold. London: AD Wiley. 6-13.
Hensel, M. and Sunguroglu Hensel. (2010). 'Extended Thresholds I: Nomadism, Settlements and the Defiance of Figure-Ground’. Turkey: At the Threshold. London: AD Wiley. 14-19.
Hensel, M. and Sunguroglu Hensel. (2010). 'Extended Thresholds II: The Articulated Threshold’. Turkey: At the Threshold. London: AD Wiley. 20-25.
Hensel, M. and Sunguroglu Hensel. (2010). 'Extended Thresholds III: Auxiliary Architectures’. Turkey: At the Threshold. London: AD Wiley. 76-83.
Hensel, M. (2009). 'Wikinger Langschiffe: elastische Holzkonstruktionen für die Seefahrt'. Holz Arch+ 193: 104-105.
Hensel, M. (2009). ‘Soberness and Fine Structure – The Preikestolen Mountain Lodge'. Arkitektur N. 03/2009: 26-29.
Hensel, M. and Hensel Sunguroglu, D. (2009). 'Membrane Spaces’. XXI Magazine 06/2009, 79: 18-20.
Hensel, M., Hight, C. and Menges, A. (2009). 'En route: Towards a Discourse on Heterogeneous Space beyond Modernist Space-Time and Post-modernist Social Geography'. Heterogeneous Space in Architecture: A Reader. London: John Wiley & Sons. 09-37.
Hensel, M. and Menges, A. (2009). 'The Heterogeneous Space of Morpho-Ecologies'. Heterogeneous Space in Architecture: A Reader. London: John Wiley & Sons. 195-215.
Hensel, M. and Menges, A. (2009). ’Holzformen am Beispiel Frei Otto’s’. Holz Arch+ 193: 106-109.
Hensel, M., and Menges, A. (2009). 'Patterns in Performance-oriented Design – An Approach towards Pattern Recognition, Generation and Instrumentalisation'. AD Pattern in Architecture. London: AD Wiley.
Hensel M. (2008). 'Performance-oriented Design: Precursors and Potentials'. Versatility and Vicissitude – Performance in Morpho-Ecological Design. London: AD Wiley. 48-53.
Hensel, M. and Menges, A. (2008). 'Form- und Materialwerdung – Das Konzept der Materialsysteme'. Form Follows Performance – Zur Wechselwirkung von Material, Struktur, Umwelt. Arch+ 188: 18-23.
Hensel, M. and Menges, A. (2008). 'Gebaute Umwelt und Heterogener (Lebens-)Raum – Das Konzept der Morpho-Ökologie'. Form Follows Performance – Zur Wechselwirkung von Material, Struktur, Umwelt. Arch+ 188: 26-30.
Hensel, M. and Menges, A. (2008). 'Performance als Forschungs- und Entwurfskonzept – Begriffe und Bezugsysteme'. Form Follows Performance – Zur Wechselwirkung von Material, Struktur, Umwelt. Arch+ 188: 31-35.
Hensel, M. and Menges, A. (2008). 'Von der Universellen zur Performativen Komponente'. Form Follows Performance – Zur Wechselwirkung von Material, Struktur, Umwelt. Arch+ 188: 38-45.
Hensel, M. and Menges, A. (2008). 'Versatility and Vicissitude: An Introduction to Performance in Morpho-Ecological Design'. Versatility and Vicissitude – Performance in Morpho-Ecological Design. London: AD Wiley, 6-11.
Hensel, M. and Menges, A. (2008). 'Inclusive Performance: Efficiency versus Effectiveness'. Versatility and Vicissitude – Performance in Morpho-Ecological Design. London: AD Wiley, 54-63.
Hensel, M. and Menges, A. (2008). 'Membrane Spaces’. Versatility and Vicissitude – Performance in Morpho-Ecological Design. London: AD Wiley, 74-79.
Hensel, M. and Menges, A. (2008). ‘Aggregates’. Versatility and Vicissitude – Performance in Morpho-Ecological Design. London: AD Wiley, 80-87.
Hensel, M. and Menges, A. (2008). ‘Designing Mopho-Ecologies – Versatility and Vicissitude of Heterogeneous Space’. Versatility and Vicissitude – Performance in Morpho-Ecological Design. London: AD Wiley, 102-111.
Hensel, M. and Sunguroğlu, D. (2008). ‘Material Performance’. Versatility and Vicissitude – Performance in Morpho-Ecological Design. London: AD Wiley, 34-38.
Hensel, M. (2007). ‘Absolute Convolut-o-rama’. Interact or Die. Rotterdam: V2_Publishing NAI Publishers, 152-155.
Hensel, M. and Menges, A. (2007). ‘Nested Capacities, Gradient Thresholds and Modulated Environments: Towards differentiated multi-performative Architectures’. Softspace: From a Representation of Form to a Simulation of Space. London: Routledge, 52-65.
Hensel, M. and Menges, A. (2006).’ Morpho-Ecologies: Towards an inclusive Discourse of Heterogeneous Space’. Morpho-Ecologies. London: AA Publications, 16-60.
Hensel, M. (2006). ‘Evolving Synergy: OCEAN currents, Current OCEANs and Why Networks must displace Themselves’. Collective Intelligence in Design. London: AD Wiley, 104-108.
Hensel, M. (2006). ‘Towards Selforganisational and Multi-Performance Capacity in Architecture’. Techniques and Technologies in Morphogenetic Design. London: AD Wiley, 05-11.
Hensel, M. (2006). ‘Computing Self-organisation: Environmentally Sensitive Growth Modelling’. Techniques and Technologies in Morphogenetic Design. London: AD Wiley, 12-17.
Hensel, M. (2006). ‘{Synthetic} Life-Architectures - Ramifications and Potentials of a literal Biological Paradigm for Architectural Design’. Techniques and Technologies in Morphogenetic Design. London: AD Wiley, 18-25.
Hensel, M. and Menges, A. (2006). ‘Differentiation and Performance: Multi-Performance Architectures and Modulated Environments’. Techniques and Technologies in Morphogenetic Design. London: AD Wiley, 60-69.
Hensel, M. and Menges, A. (2006). ‘Material and Digital Design Synthesis: Integrating material self-organisation, digital morphogenesis, associative parametric modelling and computer-aided manufacturing’. Techniques and Technologies in Morphogenetic Design. London: AD Wiley, 88-95.
Hensel, M. and Sunguroğlu, D. (2006). ‘Smart Materials / Smart Material Conditioning’. XXI Magazine 12 2006. 76-79.
Hensel, M. (2004). ‘Finding Exotic Form: An Evolution of Form-finding as a Design Method’. Emergence: Morphogenetic Design Strategies. London: AD Wiley, 26 – 33.
Hensel, M. (2004). ‘Digital Architectures: Are We Ready to Compute?’. Digital Tectonics. London: AD Wiley: London, 120-126.
Hensel, M., Menges, A. and Weinstock, M. (2004). ‘Emergence in Architecture’. Emergence: Morphogenetic Design Strategies. London: AD Wiley, 06-09.
Hensel, M., Menges, A. and Weinstock, M. (2004). ‘Frei Otto in Conversation with the Emergence and Design Group’. Emergence: Morphogenetic Design Strategies. London: AD Wiley, 18-25.
Hensel, M., Menges, A. and Weinstock, M. (2004). ‘Types, Styles and Phylogenesis: Foreign Office in Conversation with the Emergence and Design Group’. Emergence: Morphogenetic Design Strategies. London: AD Wiley, 34-39.
Hensel, M., Menges, A. and Weinstock, M. (2004). 'Fit Fabric: Versatility through Redundancy and Differentiation’. Emergence: Morphogenetic Design Strategies. London: AD Wiley, 40-45.
Hensel, M., Menges, A. and Weinstock, M. (2004). 'Engineering Design: Working with Advanced Geometries: Charles Walker in Conversation with the Emergence and Design Group’. Emergence: Morphogenetic Design Strategies. London: AD Wiley, 65- 71.
Hensel, M., Menges, A. and Weinstock, M. (2004). 'Manufacturing Complexity: Johann Sischka in Conversation with the Emergence and Design Group’. Emergence: Morphogenetic Design Strategies. London: AD Wiley, 72-79.
Hensel, M. (2002). ‘Feed it Forward – Towards Time-based Design and an Architecture of Change’. MAIA Estonian Architectural Review
Hensel, M. (2002). ‘Feed it Forward – Towards Time-based Design and an Architecture of Change’. Arqui T+: 1-12.
Hensel, M. and Sotamaa, K. (2002). ‘Vigorous Environments’. Contemporary Techniques in Architecture. Rahim, A. Ed. London: AD Wiley, 34-41.
Hensel, M. (2001). ‘Digital Architectures: Are we ready to Compute?’ CA Contemporary Architecture
Hensel, M. (2001). ‘Intencities: Towards a Notion of motion:space’. CA Contemporary Architecture: 22-41.
Hensel, M. (2001). ‘3d Modelling in Architecture’. Kenchiku Bunka Vol.56 4: 81-85.
Bettum , J. and Hensel, M. (2000). ‘Channelling Systems: Dynamic Processes and Digital Time-Based Methods in Urban Design’. Contemporary Processes in Architecture. London: AD Wiley, 36-41.
Hensel, M. (2000). ‘Ruptures, Fluctuations and Exchange: Speculations on Gradient Threshold Models’. Strategic Space – Urbanity in the twenty-first Century. Franfurt: Anabas Verlag. 157-161.
Hensel, M. and Kubokawa, R. (1999). ‘Building Brazil Part 2: 1964-1999’. AA Files 38: 52-58.
Hensel, M. and Kubokawa, R. (1998). ‘Building Brazil Part 1: 1900-1964’. AA Files 37: 48-54.
Hensel, M. (1997). ‘OCEAN net: The Practice of Interchange’. AB Arhitektov Bilten 6: 22-29.