• Architecture

Peter Wiederspahn

Associate Professor

Peter Wiederspahn’s research and pedagogical focus is architectural design, building technologies, and design research entrepreneurship. In general, he focuses on architectural design, production, performance, and systems. In particular, he has conducted research on the following topics: future-use architecture; wood construction and its cultural impact at the detail, architectural and urban scales; wood-frame building envelope performance; mutable domestic space; high-performance, rapid-assembly structural/thermal component construction system; and flat-pack, rapid-deployment, long-term-use emergency shelter system; furniture design.

Professor Wiederspahn was the Associate Dean of Academic and Faculty Affairs for the Northeastern College of Arts, Media and Design, and intermittently the Interim Director of the School of Architecture. Additionally, he was the inaugural Director of the School of Architecture Berlin Semester Abroad. He has also held teaching positions at Harvard University, Dartmouth College, and the Pennsylvania State University. Professor Wiederspahn earned his Bachelor of Architecture from Syracuse University and his Master of Architecture from the Harvard University.

Professor Wiederspahn is a co-PI for the 2017 FAIA Latrobe Prize, he has been awarded a Graham Foundation grant for his research entitled, äóěWood Frame Multi-Family Housing in Boston, 1865-1900,äóť and has received a design research grant from the Boston Society of Architect for äóěSmart Growth Planning Prototypes.äóť Through his research and pedagogy, he has collaborated with the Northeastern College of Engineering and the School of Business on student capstone projects for designing and producing business plans for prefabricated component construction systems.

Professor Wiederspahn is also the principal of Wiederspahn Architecture, LLC. His architectural practice has produced residential, multi-family, commercial and interior projects in Boston, New York and Chicago, and has received numerous design excellence awards.

Expand to read more

Education

  • B.Arch, Syracuse University
  • M.Arch, Harvard University

Professional Experience

  • The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Architecture, University Park, PA: Assistant Professor: 1991-1995
  • Harvard University, Graduate School of Design, Cambridge, MA: Visiting Design Critic: 1996
  • Dartmouth College, Studio Arts Department, Hanover, NH: Visiting Professor: 1997

Courses Taught

  • 2-Semester Master Degree Project Directed Independent Design Studio
  • Comprehensive Design Studio
  • Berlin Design Studio
  • Urban Housing and Aggregation Design Studio
  • Urbanism
  • Site, Type, and Composition Design Studio
  • Integrated Building Systems
  • Introduction to Building Systems
  • Tectonics, The Art of Building
  • Dialogue of Civilization, Italian Architecture and Urbanism
  • Architecture Topics Abroad, Theory: Embodied Time in Italian Architecture and Urbanism
  • Architecture Topics Abroad, Drawing: Freehand Drawing Italian Architecture and Urbanism
  • Graduate Topics Seminar, Design Research and Entrepreneurship
  • Berlin Seminar on Contemporary and Sustainable Architecture
  • Architectural Drafting: Conventions of Architectural Representation
  • Architecture at Northeastern

Research/Publications Highlights

  • • 2017 Latrobe Prize Winner for Future-Use Architecture, with Professor Michelle Laboy and Professor David Fannon; Sponsored by the Fellows of the American Institute of Architecture (FAIA), Washington, D.C. February 2017
  • • The Boston Society of Architects, Boston, MA, Housing Designs for Proposed Smart Growth Overlay Zoning Districts in Metro-Boston. June 2004
  • • The Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts, Chicago, IL, Wood Frame Multi-Family Housing in Boston, 1865-1900. June 2001

Research Interests

  • Architectural and Urban Scales
  • Architectural Design
  • Architectural Performance
  • Architectural Production
  • Architectural Systems
  • Flat-Pack
  • Furniture Design
  • Future-Use Architecture
  • High-Performance Structural/Thermal Component Construction System for Manual Assembly
  • Long-Term-Use Emergency Shelter System
  • Mutable Domestic Space
  • Rapid-Deployment
  • Wood Construction and its cultural impact at the detail
  • Wood-Frame Architecture and Urbanism in Boston
  • Wood-Frame Building Envelope Performance