Obituary notice professor Tillmann Klein
Last Saturday the faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment received the sad news that our valued and warm hearted colleague professor Tillmann Klein passed away after a long battle with cancer on 17 June 2023 in Rotterdam. Our hearts and thoughts go out to Tillmann’s wife Usch, son Jakob, family, friends, his colleagues and students. We wish them strength in this difficult time of unimaginable loss.
Tillmann, who was born in Wesel (Germany) in 1967 studied architecture at RWTH Aachen and attended the Kunstakademie (Klasse Baukunst) at Düsseldorf, while he founded the architecture office Rheinflügel Baukunst. Tillmann started working at TU Delft in 2005, where he received his PhD in 2013 while leading the Facade Research Group. He was influential in forming and solidifying the facade engineering community with two important initiatives: the conference series ‘The Future Envelope’ that brought industrial practice and the leading European academic institutes together, and the Journal of Facade Design and Engineering, of which he was the editor-in-chief. In 2018, he was promoted to full professor of Building Product Innovation, a position that he filled with passion and drive for a much too short time.
As a professor, Tillmann played a crucial role in bringing together the various colleagues who addressed circularity by establishing the Circular Built Environment Hub. There is now a vibrant and committed community moving forward in research and teaching. He was effective in fostering the synergies between different disciplines, from an understanding that facilitating the exchange of ideas is crucial to bring about change in this domain. Tillmann headed the section Architectural Technology in the department. He was a critical and strategic thinker.
Tillmann was a thoughtful leader who cared deeply about the opportunity for those under his wing to grow and develop. Colleagues remember him as a highly appreciated partner in education, research and strategic content development. He was known as an empathic leader, inspiring and motivating everyone around him. He supported his team in developing their own content and colleagues in sharpening their position and interests. With his very inclusive approach he did not put knowledge in ivory towers, but he worked very hard to embed his knowledge in programmes.
Tillmann’s passing is a great loss for our entire BK community.
You are welcome to sign a book of condolence in the main entrance of the faculty. A condolence card or a personal digital message for the family can be sent to the secretariat of the department of Architectural Engineering + Technology.
Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, secretariat department of AE+T
Attn. Fam. Klein / Engelmann
Postbus 5043, 2600 GA Delft
E-mail: secr-aet-bk@tudelft.nl
