Profile
Carolin Mees is an architect and researcher based in New York City and Berlin. She holds a Dr. Ing. in Architecture from the Berlin University of Arts, a Master of Architecture (Dipl. Ing) of the Berlin University of Arts and a Bachelor of Architecture (Vordiplom) of the Hamburg Academy of Arts. She has been teaching internationally in the field of architecture, urban design, and open space planning at the graduate and undergraduate university level since 2009 including at Parsons School of Design at The New School University, the Technical University Berlin, the Graz Technical University, and the University Hohenheim. She also has been a guest critic at various universities such as Yale University’s School of Architecture, Columbia University, Pratt Institute, and Rutgers University. From 2020-2021 Carolin was a Senior Post Doctoral Fellow of the Alexander of Humboldt Foundation at the Technical University of Berlin. Since 2005 Carolin works individually and collaboratively in the field of architecture, design, urban and open space planning. She has collaborated on design/built projects with various teams of architects and artists as well as municipal, non-profit and community-based organizations such as New York City’s Department of Parks and Recreation, New York City’s Mayor Office, GrowNYC, the City Parks Foundation, Friends of Governors Island, Museum of Food and Drink, Brooklyn Grange, Eagle Slope, Operation Himmelblick, Rote Beete/ Centre Francais Berlin and Berlin’s Senate for the Environment, Mobility, Traffic, Consumer and Climate Protection.
For more information, view her webpage www.mees-architecture.com.
Degrees Held
PhD / Dr.-Ing. in Architecture, Berlin University of Arts
Master / Dipl.-Ing. in Architecture, Berlin University of Arts
Bachelor / Vordiplom in Architecture, University of FIne Arts of Hamburg
Professional Affiliation
Registered Architect, AKNW, since 2005
Associate Member of the American Institute of Architects, since 2005
Recent Publications
Urban Open Space+ Strategies at the Intersection of Architecture and Open Space Planning. Jovis, 2021 - Editor and Author: Carolin Mees
More shared urban Open Space. Resiliency on Demand. Agriculture and Human Values Journal, Volume 37, Issue 3, 2020 - Author: Carolin Mees
Participatory design and self-building in shared urban open spaces: Community Gardens and Casitas in New York City Book (Monograph), Urban Agriculture Book Series, Springer, Spring 2018 - Author: Carolin Mees
US Pavillion in Venedig: Ein zeitgemäßes Konzept von Staatsbürgerschaft
Bauwelt 10.18: Biennale, 2018 - Author: Carolin Mees
Villen stapeln in Tribeca
Bauwelt 17.17: Wohnhochhaus für alle?, 2017 - Author: Carolin Mees
Participatory planning, design and self-built structures for public urban gardens: Community gardens and Casitas in the South Bronx
Proceedings of the Sustainable Built Environments Conference, peer-reviewed, September 2016 - Author: Carolin Mees
Rebuilt Rubble - Community Gardens in the South Bronx from 1970s to the 21st century: Common land use in the inner city from a socioeconomic open space planning perspective. PhD/ Dr. Ing. thesis, Berlin University of Arts, Faculty of Architecture, 2015 - Author: Carolin Mees
OfficeUS - Interview
Bauwelt 21.14: Werkstatt Biennale - Author: Carolin Mees
Urbane Landwirtschaft
Bauwelt 39.12: Urbane Landwirtschaft - Editors: Nils Ballhausen, Carolin Mees
Zwischen Hobby und Stadtplanung: Urbane Landwirtschaft
Bauwelt 39.12: Urbane Landwirtschaft - Author: Carolin Mees
Community Gardening Works! ACGA 2011 Conference
Cities and the Environment (CATE), Volume 5, Issue 1, 2012 - Editors: Nancy Falxa-Raymond, Carolin Mees
Zoned out: The Potential of Urban Agriculture Planning to turn against its roots.
Cities and the Environment online Journal (CATE), peer reviewed, Volume 5, Issue 1, 2012 - Authors: Edie Stone, Carolin Mees
Food, homes and gardens: public community gardens potential for contributing to a more sustainable city
Sustainable food planning: evolving theory and practice, 2012 - Authors: Edie Stone, Carolin Mees
Shigeru Ban in West Chelsea
Bauwelt 03.12: Zusammen und getrennt, 2012 - Author: Carolin Mees
Architekturfakultät der Cornell-Universität in Ithaca: Architekturlehre im Schaufenster.
Bauwelt 39-40.11: Gebaute Landschaft, 2011 - Author: Carolin Mees
Guerilla Gardening und andere politische Gartenbewegungen. Eine globale Perspektive.
Urban Gardening: Über die Rückkehr der Gärten in die Stadt, 2011, Ed. Christa Müller - Authors: Ella von der Haide, Julia Jahnke, Severin Halder, Carolin Mees
A public garden per resident? The socio-economic context of homes and gardens in the inner city
ISHS Acta Horticulturae 881, 2010 - Author: CarolinMees
Städtisches Land gemeinschaftlich genutzt.
Stadt und Grün, 2010/3 - Author: Carolin Mees
Bürgerparks und Nachbarschaftsgärten in Berlin
Stadt und Grün, 2010/3 - Author: Carolin Mees
Module urbaner Landwirtschaft
Stadt und Grün, 2010/9 - Author: Carolin Mees
Urban Agriculture. Nahrungsmittelproduktion und Stadt
Arch+ 196/197: Post-Oil City, 2010 - Author: Carolin Mees
Community Gardens in New York City: Privat-gemeinschaftlich genutzte öffentliche Gärten für innerstädtischen Wohnraum im Freien
KUNST - GARTEN - KULTUR. Ed. Gröning, Gert; Hennecke, Stefanie Hennecke. Berlin, 2010 - Author: Carolin Mees
Orchids in Politics and the Public Garden: The Untermyer Park in Yonkers, NY
Studies in the History of Gardens and Designed Landscapes, peer reviewed, Volume No. 29.3, 2009 - Author: Carolin Mees
Urban Gardens and Poverty: An Analysis on the example of the Community Gardens in the South Bronx of New York City
ISHS Acta Horticulturae, 762, 2008 - Author: Carolin Mees
Stadterneuerung in Shibam, Shibam / Jemen
Bauwelt, 01.10.07 - Author: Carolin Mees
Haus auf Tinos, Pantelis Nicolacopoulos - Aus dem Material der Insel
Bauwelt, 07.09.07 - Author: Carolin Mees
Hotel Russland
Bauwelt, 31.08.07 - Author: Carolin Mees
Kita in Berlin-Oberschöneweide
Bauwelt, 17.08.07 - Author: Carolin Mees
BauNetzWoche#55 - Das Querformat für Architekten
Baunetz, 16.11.07 - Author: Carolin Mees
Research Interests
Architecture, urban design, urban and open space planning
community-engaged design, urban gardening, urban agriculture, community-based planning, participatory design and planning, food and design, human rights frameworks
Portfolio
Website
Designing Urban Agriculture / Food + Design - Blog
Designing Migratory Structures - Blog