Rate My Professor Mario Rinke

Mario Rinke is a Professor in the Department of Architecture, Faculty of Design Sciences, at the University of Antwerp. Trained as a structural engineer, he holds a Diploma degree in civil engineering from Bauhaus University Weimar and a PhD from ETH Zurich. Prior to his academic career, he worked as a design engineer for leading offices in London and Zurich and ran his own practice in Zurich for several years. He researches and teaches structural and constructional aspects of architecture, with a focus on transformation processes of technical knowledge, materials, and institutions. His work develops cultural and historical perspectives on construction, explores circular concepts for structures, and examines the histories of early industrial construction materials. Expertise areas include circular construction, adaptable structures, and design-for-disassembly. Current research projects encompass '(Re)modelling Spatial Networks: Evaluating the Role of Circulation Systems in Building Conversions' (2025-2026), 'READ.ADAPT.REUSE. Reading and transforming the As Found' (2024-2028, Scientific Research Network), 'Porosity of Building Structures: tracing multilayered changes to converted buildings' (2022-2026), 'Crafting Circularity – Rethinking Sustainable Design and Construction in Architecture Education' (2022-2025), 'Structures of permanence and change – Modelling adaptability based on converted buildings' (2021-2025), and 'SOPAC Structures of permanence and change' (2021-2022). These projects analyze adaptability in building reuse, circulation systems, and sustainable practices to extend building lifespans and reduce environmental impact.

Rinke teaches a range of courses in the Bachelor and Master of Architecture programs, including Architectural Design 1:1 (1070FOWARC), Structural Design 3 (1085FOWARC), Structural Design 4 (1087FOWARC), Assemblies (1092FOWARC), Graduation Studio Master (2013FOWARC), and Master's Thesis Part II: Dissertation (2900ASEARC), along with Summer School (9157FOWKEU). He chairs the Architecture Education Committee (Opleidingscommissie Architectuur) and the Onderwijscommissie Architectuur, serves as deputy chair of the Bachelor and Master Architecture examination commissions, and holds positions on various faculty committees including the Faculty Council and Library Commission of the Faculty of Design Sciences. A founding member of the International Association of Structures and Architecture (IASA), he is on its management board and was spokesperson for the Architecture + Interior research group from 2019 to 2023. Key publications include 'Flexural behaviour of cracked textile reinforced cementitious composites exposed to freeze-thaw environment' (2026, Journal of Building Engineering), 'Adaptability in wood construction: barriers to flexible multi-storey timber buildings' (book chapter), and contributions to conferences on sustainable materials and timber construction.