Dipl. Architect ETH SIA Thomas R. Matta, former treasurer of AESOP, sadly passed away in November after a prolonged illness.
Matta was educated in architecture with a specialization in urban and spatial planning at ETH Zurich (1967–1972). After completing his studies, he worked as a planning practitioner until 1995, in various planning offices and through his own firm, which he established in 1978. In 1991, he was appointed professor of spatial planning at HSR University of Applied Sciences Rapperswil (now part of the Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences). There, he educated new generations of planners in local land use planning and urban development. Beyond teaching, he also served as the director of studies for a period. From 2000 to 2011, he concurrently lectured at ETH Zurich in the field of spatial planning education.
In the first decade of the 21st century, he engaged in research on development cooperation and community counseling as a partner at IRAP – the Institute for Spatial Development at HSR.
In 2012, after retiring from academia, he returned to practice as an independent consultant, continuing this work as long as his health permitted. As a planning consultant, he focused on spatial planning, competition, townscape preservation, and property protection, offering both technical expertise and advisory services to clients. He was also co-founder of the association Participamoz, an organization addressing development cooperation and spatial planning issues in Mozambique, where he served on the board from 2014 to 2017. He maintained a connection to teaching, notably serving as a visiting professor at UBT Pristina in Kosovo, where he contributed to a master’s-level studio in spatial planning.
Thomas R. Matta was a dedicated member of AESOP’s Executive Committee from 2009 to 2017, serving as treasurer. He made a remarkable contribution to ensuring the association's financial stability. A kind and meticulous individual, his pedagogical skills shone when he explained the association’s financial matters to the CoRep and others. He embodied the AESOP spirit, with a deep
commitment to education and the integration of planning practice with academic learning.
He will be dearly missed. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.
For AESOP,
Maria Håkansson, President AESOP 2024–26, CoRep 2013–2023
Thomas Dillinger, President AESOP 2022–24, Vice-President 2024–25
