Barbara Lydia Ruech
Barbara Lydia Ruech is mentee of Marion Gruber
Barbara Lydia Ruech, * in Innsbruck, lives and works between Vorarlberg, Austria, and Japan. Rooted in craftsmanship, her practice brings together photography, architecture, and storytelling as an act of remembrance, carrying forward the stories embedded in places, materials, and landscapes.
She studied architecture at the University of Liechtenstein and the Bergen School of Architecture in Norway.
Her experience includes working at Atelier Peter Zumthor, contributing to the restoration of historic buildings alongside architects in Vorarlberg, Liechtenstein and Japan. Her background in furniture making and timber construction continues to shape her sensitivity to materials and her deep appreciation for craft.
From 2023 to 2025, she lived in Japan, where she immersed herself in traditional craftsmanship and the restoration of vernacular Japanese houses. Since 2025, she leads the design studio Built Heritage & Circularity at the University of Liechtenstein together with Alberto Alessi. Besides her academic work, she founded her own practice, barbara lydia ruech, in 2022 and collaborates across disciplines as a photographer, architect, and storyteller.