- Current Activity
- Barbara Imhof is the co-founder and co-manager of LIQUIFIER Systems Group, a platform for a group of experts from the fields of architecture, design, human factors, systems engineering, physics and space technology. Their space related projects focus on feasibility and scenario studies as well as mock-ups and prototypes for clients such as the European Space Agency ESA, Thales Alenia Space, DLR or EADS. The trans-disciplinary, cross-cultural and cross-gnerational collaboration generates innovatice research work and applications for planet Earth.
Barbara worked as a space architect for NASA, being responsible for the interior design, on NASA's BIOPLEX Project (Earth test bed for a human mission to Mars) at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. For the European Space Agency (ESA) she also led a feasibility study of an integrated planetary exploration simulation facility. Other ESA project where she served as an expert in (outer) space include the Human MIssion to Mars Study and the ExoMars Rover Study for robotic exploration. Barbara led the project RAMA, a concept design for a pressurized rover for Moon/Mars exploration, which was part of the top-level Architecture Study of the ESA's European Exploration Strategy. The design was developed under a contract to Thales Alenia Space and ESA. Barbara Imhof is currently also the project manager of the arts-based research project "Biornametics"-Architecture Defined By Natural Patterns-and is collaborating with the University of Applied Arts, the Centre for Biomimetics, REading, UK, jthe Institute oof Microengineering and Nanoelectronics (MEN), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM, National University of Malaysia) and the University of Technology in Vienna. Sha a more than a ten-year-track of teaching at renowned universities such as Chalmers University Gothenburg, Sweden, ETH Zurich, Switzerland, University of Applied Arts, Vienna and eight years with Helmut Richter at the University of Technology Vienna. She was educated in Vienna at the University of Applied Arts in the Wolf D. Prix-Coop Himmelb(l)au Studio, at the Bartlett School London, SCI-ARC, Los Angeles and holdas a Master Degree Course in Space Studies from the International Space University including a PhD from the University of Technology Vienna.
- Education
- 2006
PhD in Technical Sciences, University of Technology, Vienna, Austria
- 1997
Master of Space Studies (MSS), International Space University, Strasbourg, France
- 1996
Master's Degree in Architecture, Academy of Applied ARts, Vienna, Austria
- 1992 — 1995
Short-term architecture studies at Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-ARC), Los Angeles, USA
- 1992
Bachelor's degree in Architecture, University of Technology, Vienna
- Career
- 2010 — 2011
Researcher (PI), Lecturer for arts-based research project "Biornametics", University of Applied Arts, Vienna, Austria
- 2010 — 2011
Researcher (PI), Lecturer for arts-based research project "BIORNAMETCS", University of Applied Arts, Vienna, Austria
- 2007 — 2010
Second Supervisor for PhD student-Doctoral Dissertation Focus: "Planetary Mission Simulators", Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
- 2007 — 2010
Second Supervisor for PhD student-Doctoral Dissertation Focus: "Planetary Mission Simulators", Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
- 2005 — 2006
Assistant Professor at Department of Architecture, "BOF!BenützerOberFläche", bei Prof. Gregor Eichinger
- since 2004
Co-founder and Managing Partner, LIQUIFIER Systems Group (LSG), Vienna, Austria
- 1998 — 2006
Assistant Professor at Institute for Building Technology and Design, University of Technology, Vienna, Austria, Prof. Helmut Richter
- 1997 — 2003
Co-founder and Managing Partner, architecture firm ESCAPE*sphere
- Awards
- 1992 — 1995
Student Fellowship, Bartlett School of Architecture, University College, London, UK
