Biography
Klaus Marek was appointed Vice Dean of Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts – Lucerne School of Design Film and Art on September, 2025, where he is responsible for education and heads the Design department with the corresponding BA and MA programs as well as the Competence Centers Product & Textile and Transformation Design.
Klaus Marek studied product design at the University of Design in Schwäbisch Gmünd and architecture at the University of Stuttgart. As a product designer, he worked at the Ulm-based firm ProduktEntwicklung Roericht and at Mathias Horx's Trendbüro Hamburg in trend and future research. In his own design office, he worked on various collaborations, including new writing instruments for Stabilo and a switch program for Somfy with a focus on user guidance. As an architect, he worked on projects of various scales at the Basel-based architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron. He also taught product and process design in the bachelor's program at the University of Design in Schwäbisch Gmünd. At the Lucerne School of Design, Film and Art, he was a lecturer in the Master's program in Design from 2015 to 2025, a researcher at the Competence Center Visual Narrative, and from 2020 to 2025 he headed the Bachelor's program in Spatial Design, which he played a key role in establishing. In addition to his work at the Lucerne School of Design, Film and Art, he worked as a freelance spatial designer.
Achievements in design, teaching and research
RESEARCH
Research projects at the Visual Narrative Competence Center:
Blueprint4D - Visualization of Service Processes (2019). Funded by ITC Digital Transformation of the Working World; Project Lead: Klaus Marek (HSLU-D&K); Team: Klaus Marek (HSLU-D&K); Prof. Dr. Adrienne Schaefer, Prof. Dr. Axel Uhl (HSLU-W); Dr. Markus Zank (HSLU-I); Publication: Blueprint4D - From Service Blueprinting to Service Information Modeling. Executive Paper and Conference Poster. Spring Servitization Conference 2017. Lucerne.
EVISU - Energy Visualization Bottom-up (2018-2020). Funding by Swiss Federal Office of Energy SFOE; Project leader: Reto Marek (HSLU-T&A); Team: Reto Marek, Curdin Derungs, Stefan Winterberger (HSLU-T&A); Klaus Marek, Robert Bossart (HSLU-D&K); Publication: Final report for the attention of Swiss Federal Office of Energy SFOE, December 2020.
KOMMA AR/VR - Communication mix in area development (2021-2023). Funding by Innosuisse (Innocheque), implementation partner: Creafactory AG; funding by ITC Raum und Gesellschaft for the deepening in AR/VR; project management: Klaus Marek (HSLU-D&K); team: Dr. Werner Schaeppi, Sergio Belfanti (Creafactory); Klaus Marek, Tobias Matter, Christian Schnellmann, Christoph Schneider (HSLU-D&K); Dario Lanfranconi (HSLU-I); Alexa Bodammer (HSLU-SA)
TEACHING AT UNIVERSITY LEVEL
Teaching activities at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Design & Art and Business as well as at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts D-Schwäbisch Gmünd.
University of Applied Sciences and Arts Schwäbisch Gmünd, course of studies product design:
Three-dimensional basics of design and networks/processes (Vetretung Professor Roland Knauer); 2nd semester (2003-2004).
Architecture and design; 4th semester (2010-2012).
Product design; 2nd semester (2015-2018).
Process design 1&2; 4th and 6th semesters (2015-2018).
Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Design & Art, MA Design:
Lecturer and module leader of the specialization Service Design (academic year 2015/2016 - 2017/2018).
Specialization module Service Innovation (academic year 2015/2016 - 2017/2018).
Colloquium group written master's thesis (academic year 2015/2016 - 2019/2020).
Mentorship artistic-design master thesis (academic year 2015/2016–2022/2023 ff.)
Core team Master Design (academic year 2018/2019 - 2021/2022)
Core module Design Methods 1&2 (academic year 2018/2019 - 2021/2022)
Core module Master Design (academic year 2022/2023 ff.)
Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, MA Design - management of projects with external cooperation partners (Connect Projects):
Artothek Zug with the Department of Culture of the City of Zug and the Library Zug (HS 2018);
Reusable concepts for gastronomy with IG Arbeit (fall semester 2019);
Participatory design of public spaces for young people with the municipality of Emmen, Directorate of Social Affairs and Society (Fall Semester 2020).
Strategic site development Hinterschlund with the City of Lucerne, Strategy Development Building Directorate/Real Estate (spring semester 2022).
Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, BA Digital Ideation:
Lucerne School of Business, MSc in Information and Data Science:
Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, BA Spatial Design:
Module Intro 1, 1st semester; Collabotrative Project: Workplace Design; together with Stefanie Wandiger and Florian Hauswirth (Fall semester 2020).
Module Space 1, 1st semester; When Spaces Speak; together with Florian Hauswirth and Knut Jensen (fall semester 2020).
Module Intro 1, 1st semester; Culinary Scenography for HELGA Lucerne 2022 - Symposium for Scenography and Communication in Space; together with Isabel Tobler and Florian Hauswirth (fall semester 2022–2024).
Module Experiene 1, Semester 1; Wayfinding - Designing spatial orientation using the example of the building of the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Design & Art (Fall Semester 2022 ff.).
UNIVERSITY PROJECTS
Projects that serve the external impact of the Department of Design & Art and the participating fields of study to draw attention to new positions in design education - or to develop these positions in a transdisciplinary discourse in the first place.
Helga Luzern 2022–2024 - The Swiss conference for scenography and communication in space; Team: Klaus Marek, Isabel Tobler, Florian Hauswirth (BA Spatial Deisgn)
Milano Design Week 2022. "NO THING NEW"; contribution to Milano Design Week, Casa degli Artisti (presented by the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia); team: Klaus Marek, Isabel Tobler (BA Spatial Design); Lilia Glanzmann, Clara Sollberger (BA Textile Design); Christoph Schindler, Nora Wagner (BA Object Design)
Design Biennale Zurich 2021. "Special Spatial Collaboration"; contribution to the Design Biennale Zurich in collaboration with the textile design department; team: Klaus Marek, Alessa Gassmann, Eliya Pagelli (BA Spatial Design); Lilia Glanzmann, Franziska Born, Clara Sollberger, Simone Kuhn, Nina Baumann (BA Textile Design)
Raumwelten 2022 - Platform for Scenography, Architecture and Media; University partnership 2022 with HSLU-D&K BA Spatial Design; Team: Christophe Merkle, Allison Crank (Lecturers BA Spatial Design, Curator:innen); Klaus Marek (Head BA Spatial Design)
ACHIEVEMENTS IN DESIGN
projects in own design office concept design in different cooperations for companies like Stabilo, Bosch, Somfy, Tacx, Hohner, Hepp, Dubidot (1997-2002)
ACHIEVEMENTS IN ARCHITECTURE
Projects as an architect with Herzog & de Meuron Architekten Basel as well as in his own architectural offices Preiswerk Marek Architekten Biel and Klaus Marek Architektur & Design, Basel
Architect and project manager in the architectural office Herzog & de Meuron Basel (2003-2009):
Atelier Thomas Ruff; project management; executed (2008-2009).
Sauna Andreas Gursky; project management; executed (2008-2009)
Study Thermalbad Basel; project management (2008)
Roche Bau 97, Basel, head of design team; executed (2007-2008)
Office tower Triangle Paris; collaboration (2007)
Hotel Astoria Luzern; collaboration; executed (2004-2006)
Study Schatzalp I, Davos; collaboration (2003)
Projects in own architectural office Preiswerk Marek Architekten, Biel (2009-2015) and Klaus Marek Architektur & Design, Basel (since 2015):
Temporary exhibition DANCE! at the Museum of Communication Bern; as StudioM with Christophe Merkle and Sonja Koch (opening November 2024, to be experienced until August 2025)
Passenger underpass railroad station Aalen; executed (2015-2021).
Feasibility study overall area residential and employment home "Le Pré-aux-Boeufs", Sonvilier (2014-2015)
Conversion of residential and commercial building in Ludwigsburg; direct contract; executed (2013-2015)
Redesign of passenger underpass at Schwäbisch Gmünd train station; executed (2010-2014)
Extension apartment Urtenen-Schönbühl; direct order; executed (2012-2013)
Study contract for the renovation of the main building of the "Le Pré-aux-Boeufs" residential and employment home in Sonvilier; 1st place (2013)
New construction of semi-detached house in Bern; with Wermuth und Partner, Bern; direct commission; construction project (2013)
Entrance way Pruntruterstrasse, Basel; direct order; executed (2012-2013)
Study contract facade design Nidaugasse 57, Biel; 1st rank (2012)
Project competition Foyer Stadttheater Biel/Bienne; 3rd place (2012)
Project competition for new indoor swimming pool in Gland; 3rd place (2011)
Project competition Walkermatte day school, Biel; 3rd place, 2nd prize (2011)
Study contract for the renovation and conversion of the vicarage in Büren an der Aare; 2nd prize (2011)
Urban design ideas competition Oberes Kandergirien, Spiez (2011)
Extension of the house on the banks of the Aare in Bern; direct commission; preliminary project (2011)
Study contract for the construction of a new parish hall for the parish of Herrischried; 3rd place (2010)
Conversion of residential building Höheweg, Biel/Bienne; direct commission; executed (2009-2010)
JOURNALISM
Architecture and exhibition review for the Stuttgarter Zeitung (2004) and specialist article for the Schreiner-Zeitung Schweiz (2009).
Article "The permanent-beta Curriculum" for the publication "Die Nummer 11", publication series of the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Design & Art: Number 11 on the topic of curriculum development (2023).
