Jorg Sierig is recorded as a German student enrolled for postgraduate studies at the Architectural Association, in London, from 1968-1969. Prior to joining the AA, Jorg had studied at the Technische Hochschule Stuttgart and subsequently joined the teaching staff at Technische Hochschule Darmstadt, where, along with Madfred Niermann, he became one of the founding figures behind the creation of the Instituts (Arbeitsgruppe) für Tropisches Bauen in 1968. As part of the preparations for the formation of the Institute, both Sierig and Niermann came to London to attend the AA’s Department of Development Studies. It is not clear which of the Department’s courses Sierig attended but a note on the student registers specifies that he was engaged with ‘School Building Recommendations Costa Rica’. Otto Koenigsberger, the Departmental Head, was, at that time, drawing up a report for the establishment of an architecture school, for the University of, Costa Rica (delivered 1970), and possibly Sierig was assisting in the research / writing process. The University of Costa Rica had also dispatched a number of students to the AA in order to prepare for establishing the new school and Sirig appears to have been paired with one of them, Carlos H. Segura – their joint final AA thesis was written on "Climatic and Educational Design Standards for Costa Rica." Back at TH Darmstadt, in 1969, Sierig was to make direct use of this research by setting it as the topic for the Institute’s Winter seminar programme of 1969-70. In December 1970, he and Manfred Niermann were also to lead a group of 5 Darmstadt students on study tour in Ghana, where they examined architecture of the Nima region of Accra. Sierig was to continue at the Instituts für Tropisches Bauen until 1979, publishing numerous influential articles and papers, alongside editing and contributing to a series of important books around the subject of development planning.
Sources
- Architectural Association Student Register, 1967-69. AA Archives
- Architectural Association Council Minutes, 21st July, 1969. AA Archives
- Architectural Association Members Register, 1969. AA Archives
- Arbeitsgruppe (Institut) Tropenbau, Technische Hochschule Darmstadt, Hrsg. Schulbau in einem Entwicklungsland. Costa Rica. Darmstadt, 1970, S. 2.
- Schulbau in Costa Rica. Seminar WS 1969/70 SS 70“, undatiert. UniA DA, H 55 A Nr 786
- Niermann, Manfred und Jörg Sierig. „Nima. Ein Slumquartier in Accra/Ghana“. Bauwelt, Vol. 62, Nr. 15, April 1971
- Dietrich, Niermann, Sierig und Sieverts, ‘Stadtplanung in der Dritten Welt. Planung für schnelleres Wachstum und ständigen Wandel bei geringem Mitteleinsatz. Ein Seminarbericht; Stadtbauwelt 40, 1973
- Dietrich, Rainer, Manfred Niermann, Jörg Sierig und Thomas Sieverts. „Stadtplanung in der Dritten Welt. Planung für schnelleres Wachstum und ständigen Wandel bei geringem Mitteleinsatz. Ein Seminarbericht’. Stadtbauwelt, Nr. 40, Dezember 1973, S. 297–301
- Sierig, Jörg und Gerhard Auer (Hrsg.). Plan structurel El Biar, Alger. République Algérienne Démocratique et Populaire = Strukturplanung El Biar, Algier. Demokratische Volksrepublik Algerien. Algier und Darmstadt: COMEDOR, 1978, o. S. (Vorwort)
- ‘Vom Institut für Tropisches Bauen zum Fachgebiet Planen und Bauen in Entwicklungsländern’: ‘1969–70: Seminar „Schulbau in einem Entwicklungsland. Costa Rica’ TH Darmstadt, Adrian Franco and Frederike Lausch. Accessed 9th January, 2026: https://tropenbauthd.hypotheses.org/lehre
