Simon Bechert is a structural engineer, former research associate at the Institute of Building Structures and Structural Design (itke) and doctoral researcher at the Cluster of Excellence IntCDC at the University of Stuttgart. Prior to joining the itke in 2015, Simon has completed his Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Stuttgart in 2013 and worked as a project engineer for steel, timber and concrete structures.

His research focuses on the development of building systems, connection concepts and integrative structural design methods for segmented timber shell structures. Simon is responsible for the integration of innovative lightweight building systems in design and construction projects that explore integrative, interdisciplinary and computational design strategies for resource-efficient and robotically fabricated building structures. Applying this research, he led the structural design effort of innovative lightweight structures such as the BUGA Wood Pavilion 2019 in Heilbronn (Germany) and the Urbach Tower at the Remstal Gartenschau 2019 (Germany). As an author, Simon has published in international journals and conference proceedings and given lectures at numerous international conferences in architectural design and structural engineering. He has been teaching multiple seminars and studios in the context of his research at the University of Stuttgart.

Since 2023, Simon has been working as a managing partner and project engineer at the structural engineering office Prof. Dr.-Ing. Heinrich Bechert + Partner, where he is responsible, among other things, for the planning of the IntCDC Building at the University of Stuttgart. In this project, he was able to transfer his research on segmented timber shells to large-scale architectural applications. From May 2025 onwards, Simon will also assume executive responsibility for the area of structural engineering within the general planning of this project.

My teaching philosophy is founded on the conviction that the understanding of structures and building systems can only be achieved through the interplay of design, structural logic, and fabrication. In interdisciplinary settings, I encourage students to integrate architectural design with structural principles and digital technologies. A particular focus of my teaching lies on lightweight construction and resource-efficient building as a fundamental principle of sustainability in architecture and the built environment. Building with renewable resources such as timber plays a central role, as it combines ecological potential with high structural performance. Equally essential is an integrative mode of planning within an interdisciplinary context, in which innovative digital technologies are employed to optimise existing processes and systems, while at the same time fostering new design approaches through integration and interdisciplinarity. In doing so, I not only convey methodological foundations in structural engineering, parametric design, and simulation, but also promote experimental working methods that extend from the initial concept to the realised demonstrator. Through this integrative approach, students learn to engage with the complexity of contemporary building tasks in a creative, critical, and responsible manner, and to develop sustainable solutions for the architecture of the future.

Wood D, Grönquist P, Bechert S, Aldinger L, Riggenbach D, Lehmann K, Rüggeberg M, Burgert I, Knippers J, Menges A. From machine control to material programming: self-shaping wood manufacturing of a high performance curved CLT structure – Urbach Tower. In: Burry J, Sabin J, Sheil B, Skavara M, eds. Fabricate 2020: Making Resilient Architecture. London, UK: UCL Press; 2020:50-57. DOI:10.14324/111.9781787358119    

Aldinger L, Bechert S, Wood D, Knippers J, Menges A. Design and Structural Modelling of Surface-Active Timber Structures Made from Curved CLT–Urbach Tower, Remstal Gartenschau 2019. Design Modelling Symposium–Impact: Design With All Senses, 2019, pages 419–432, Springer, ISBN: 978-3-030-29828-9, DOI:10.1007/978-3-030-29829-6

Bechert S, Knippers J, Krieg OD, Menges A, Schwinn T, Sonntag D. Textile fabrication techniques for timber shells: Elastic bending of custom-laminated veneer for segmented shell construction systems. In: Adriaenssens S, Gramazio F, Kohler M, Menges A, Pauly M, eds. Advances in Architectural Geometry 2016. Zurich, Switzerland: vdf Hochschulverlag AG; 2016:154-169. doi:10.3929/ethz-a-010709080

Bechert S, Schlopschnat C, Göbel M, Aicher S, Menges A, Knippers J. livMatS Biomimetic Shell: Structural advancements of segmented timber shells towards permanent building constructions. Structures, 2025. (under review)

Bechert S, Aicher S, Gorokhova L, Balangé L, Schwieger V, Menges A, Knippers J. Segmented timber shells: Structural investigations and quality assessment of a modular building system towards reusable lightweight timber constructions. Developments in the Built Environment, 2025. (under review)

Orozco L, Krtschil A, Wagner HJ, Bechert S, Amtsberg F, Knippers J, Menges A. Co-design methods for non-standard multi-storey timber buildings. Sustainability. 2023;15(23):16178. DOI:10.3390/su152316178.

Krtschil A, Orozco L, Bechert S, Wagner HJ, Amtsberg F, Chen T-Y, Shah A, Menges A, Knippers J. Structural development of a novel punctually supported timber building system for multi-storey construction. Journal of Building Engineering, Vol. 58, pp. 1-13, 2022. DOI:10.1016/j.jobe.2022.104972

Bechert S, Sonntag D, Aldinger L, Knippers J. Integrative structural design and engineering methods for segmented timber shells – BUGA Wood Pavilion. Structures, Vol. 34, pp. 4814-4833, 2021. DOI:10.1016/j.istruc.2021.10.032

Bechert S, Aldinger L, Wood D, Knippers J, Menges A. Urbach Tower: Integrative structural design of a lightweight structure made of self-shaped curved cross-laminated timber. Structures, Vol. 33, pp. 3667-3681, 2021. DOI:10.1016/j.istruc.2021.06.073

Sonntag D, Bechert S and Knippers J. Biomimetic timber shells made of bending-active segments. International Journal of Space Structures, Vol. 32, Issue 3–4, pp. 149–159, 2017. DOI:10.1177/0266351117746266