The ASTOC management

Managing partners

Peter Berner

Managing partner and co-founder of ASTOC. He shapes the development of multi-layered building construction and urban development projects and sets standards in the design of neighborhoods with architectural quality, functional diversity and urbanistic conciseness.

Zafer Bildir

Managing Partner at ASTOC. He is responsible for the management of complex architectural and large-scale projects, drives the use of digital planning methods and shapes the further development of integral planning processes as well as the digital transformation of the office.

Ingo Kanehl

Managing Partner at ASTOC, Managing Director of ASTOC International GmbH and Chairman of the Board of Directors of ASTOC AG. He combines entrepreneurial responsibility with in-depth expertise in challenging architectural and urban development projects of international relevance.

Partner

Sebastian Hermann

Partner at ASTOC. He develops innovative urban planning approaches and combines methodological analysis with practical implementation. He successfully applies his integrative working methods, particularly in land-use conversion and neighborhood development.

PROF. MARKUS NEPPL

Partner at ASTOC and professor of urban neighborhood planning at KIT. He is a visionary in strategic urban and neighborhood development and combines practice-oriented project work with teaching, research, public policy, and a commitment to architectural culture.

Barbara Witten

Partner at ASTOC and Managing Director of ASTOC AG in Switzerland. She plans and executes building construction projects ranging from residential buildings to research facilities, manages the Basel office, and serves as ASTOC’s primary point of contact in Switzerland.

Jörg Ziolkowski

Partner at ASTOC. He has extensive experience in construction planning for complex office and residential buildings. Through his commitment to digitalization and BIM, he is driving the further development and standardization of integrated planning processes.

Directors and Associate Partners

Johannes Mende

Office Manager and Director at ASTOC. With two decades of experience as a lead architect, he is responsible for the cost-effective implementation of projects and cross-project quality assurance, serving as the liaison between management and the team.

DR. MANUEL GIRALT

Director at ASTOC and managing director of ASTOC International GmbH. He specializes in complex urban development processes, master planning, and airport projects, and combines international project experience with academic expertise and research.

Rüdiger Hundsdörfer

Associate Partner and Head of the Competition Department at ASTOC. He stands for analytical competence, creative design concepts and the integrative combination of urban planning and structural engineering in the handling of complex tasks in early project phases.

Markus Lang

Associate Partner at the Karlsruhe office. His focus is on the planning and development of complex urban development projects, urban land-use planning and the management of spatial-strategic development processes in close cooperation with local authorities and investors.

Britta Schümmer

Associate Partner at ASTOC. She is responsible for strategic urban development projects, leads interdisciplinary teams, designs complex processes of integrated urban and spatial planning and strengthens business development.

Prof. Dr. Matthias Stippich

Architect and urban planner based in Karlsruhe. He draws on his expertise—gained at the intersection of research, teaching, and practice—to develop urban planning and architectural concepts in both urban and rural contexts.

Former Partners

PROF. OLIVER HALL

Consultant and founding partner at ASTOC. Professor of Urban Planning and Design at the Ostwestfalen-Lippe University of Applied Sciences. He combines academic expertise with practical urban planning and promotes architectural quality in small- and medium-sized urban contexts.

Andreas Kühn

Senior Director at ASTOC. Even after stepping down as managing partner, he continues to contribute his expertise—particularly in the integration of design, implementation, and management—combining creative quality with economic responsibility.

Credits: Susanne Troll, Nina Gschlößl