Kathrin Dörfler, Prof. Dr

Kathrin Dörfler is an architect, researcher, and educator specialising in computational design and robotic fabrication. She holds a Master's degree in Architecture from TU Vienna and a PhD in Digital Fabrication from ETH Zurich. Together with Romana Rust, Kathrin co-founded the architectural research studio dorfundrust. Her doctoral thesis, “Strategies for Robotic In situ Fabrication,” was completed at Gramazio Kohler Research, ETH Zurich, as part of the National Centre of Competence in Research Digital Fabrication (NCCR DFAB). This research, developed in close collaboration with robotics scientists, introduced novel methods for utilising robots in fabrication directly on construction sites, integrating these processes with architectural design strategies.

In 2019, Kathrin joined the TUM School of Engineering and Design (TUM SoED) at the Technical University of Munich as a Tenure Track Professor. She established a research group for for Digital Fabrication at the Department of Architecture. The group's research focuses on the intersection of computational design and robotic fabrication, emphasising collaborative fabrication processes, on-site robotics, and fabrication-aware design. She is also the Co-Spokesperson of the DFG-funded Collaborative Research Centre TRR 277 "Additive Manufacturing in Construction" (TRR 277 AMC). Beyond her research, Kathrin has taught in Architecture programs in Vienna, Zurich, and Munich, as well as in specialized postgraduate programs in Architecture and Digital Fabrication (MAS DFAB ETH Zurich).