Prof. em. Dr. Gerhard Schmitt

Gerhard Schmitt is Professor for Information Architecture and Director of the Singapore-ETH Centre for Global Environmental Sustainability.

Since 2006, Gerhard Schmitt concentrates on the definition and design of Information Architecture (IA) as the next level of Computer Aided Architectural Design (CAAD). The creation of a simulation, visualization and interaction platform for Future Cities is at the centre of his research. Gerhard Schmitt established the CAAD curriculum and research program since 1988 when he became Professor at ETH Zurich. His courses included design computing and programming, collaborative and shared authorship design, and global virtual design studios. His research focused on the development of intelligent design support systems, using artificial intelligence methods.

From 1998-2008 he was Vice President for Planning and Logistics of ETH Zurich. In 2000, he initiated the development of a third, virtual campus, named ETH World with an international master plan competition. In 2003, he devised the concept for Science City, ETH’s new campus in Zurich; in 2004, he initiated the development of the master plan; in 2006, the international competition for the best integrated urban scale sustainability concept; and in 2007, the energy concept to reduce CO2 output by 60% in 10 years.

Since 2018 he leads the Cooling Singapore project, since 2015 the Big Data informed Urban Design project and the Responsive Cities Scenario at the ETH Future Cities Laboratory in Singhapore. From 2010 to 2015 he led the Simulation Platform at the Singapore-ETH Centre Future Cities Laboratory. From 1984 to 1988 he pursued CAAD research and teaching at Carnegie Mellon University. He was Visiting Professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium, at DTU, the Technical University of Denmark in Lyngby and at the Technical University of Delft.

From 1994-1996 he was Dean of the Faculty and Department of Architecture at ETH, president of ETH’s Informatics Commission 1989-1997, President of the Swiss Computer Graphics association 1996-1998, Vice President of the Board of the HMT, the Zurich Academy for Music, Theater and Ballet, President of the Foundation Board of the Studienzentrum Pfäffikon, President of the Scientific Advisory Board of Distance Learning Switzerland FS-CH, and Chairman of the Visiting Committee of the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University 2004-2007.