Rainer Schmidt was born in Gelsenkirchen, Germany and had practiced in gardening and landscaping from 1972 to 1975. This inspired him to pursue an education in landscape architecture from 1975 to 1980 at the Hochschule Weihenstephan in Freising.
After graduating in 1980, Rainer Schmidt began his career as a landscape architect in the office of Gottfried Hansjakob where he progressed towards Senior Landscape Architect and line manager. Since 1986, he has been registered as a Landscape Architect by the Bavarian Chamber of Architects. In 1991, Schmidt started his own office "Rainer Schmidt Landscape Architects + City Planners" and followed the call for professorship in landscape architecture at the Beuth University of Applied Sciences Berlin. Schmidt has also taught under Guest Professorship at the University of California Berkeley in 2007 and the University of Beijing, China in 2004. Since 2005, Rainer Schmidt has performed the role of Vice President of the German Society of Garden Architecture and Landscape Culture (DGGL). Since 2008, Schmidt has been registered by the Bavarian Chamber of Architects as an urban planner.
Awards
1998 International Trend Prize, for the project "Kempinski Hotel Airport, Munich, Germany"
2002 Hans Bickel Prize, for overall work
2003 Architecture + Technology Award, for the project “Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy, Freiburg, Germany”
2006 Premio Internazionale Torsanlorenzo, for the project "Bavarian National Museum, Munich, Germany"
2006 Premio Internazionale Torsanlorenzo for the project "Federal Garden Exhibition - BUGA, Munich, Germany"
2008 Premio Internazionale Torsanlorenzo for the project "Paulinum Grammar School, Schwaz, Austria"
2008 Premio Internazionale Torsanlorenzo for the project "Villa Heldmann Garden, St. Gilgen, Austria"
2009 BDLA Prize, for the project "Villa Heldmann Garden, St. Gilgen, Austria"
2013 DGNB Gold Certification, for the project "Think K- Forum K, Stuttgart, Germany“
Projects
Rainer Schmidt's work has been showcased in a number of publications, displaying a wide variety of built projects of residential gardens, historic museum landscapes, temporary garden exhibitions, parks, and open public spaces. Rainer Schmidt has been in collaboration with Architect Helmut Jahn on many projects over the previous years, including the landscapes of Munich Airport, Weser Tower, and Highlight Towers.
Built
Neubau Fachhochschule Campus, Bielefeld, Germany (Completed October 2013)
Hans-Sachs-Haus, Gelsenkirchen, Germany (Completed August 2013)
"Natur durch Kultur, von Romantik zu Organik" in: Gartenkunst und Landschaftskultur, 125 Jahre DGGL – Eine Standortbestimmung, Callwey, München / Munich 2012
"Contemporary Landscape Architecture – Parks and Open Space, Duties and Responsibilities" in: Buhmann, Pietsch, Kretzler (Hg. / eds.): Digital Landscape Architecture 2010, Wichmann, Berlin 2010
Buhmann, Capatti, Borg, Schmidt, Joergensen, Haase (Hg. / eds.): Landscape Architectural Proposal for Malta, Ministry for Infrastructure, Transport and Communications, Valletta, University of Applied Sciences, Anhalt, Bernburg 2009
”Culture and Open Space“ in: Digital Design in Landscape Architecture 2008, Wichmann, Berlin 2008
“Villengarten St. Gilgen“ in: best private plots 08 – Die besten Gärten, private plots, Vienna, 2008
”Ecological Development of Parks, Case of Infineon, Munich“ in: Landscape Design, Ausgabe / Issue 28/2008
