Diploma in engineering/architecture. Born in Karlsruhe in 1964, studied architecture at the RWTH Aachen from 1985 to 1992. After working in the offices of Jim Shay Architects, San Francisco (1992) and HPP Hentrich-Petschnigg und Partner, Hamburg and Düsseldorf (1992 to 1994), and as assistant to the Chair of Architectural Construction and Planning at the RWTH Aachen (1994 to 2001), he founded Ziolkowski.WS Architektur, Cologne in 1995.

In 2008 he joined ASTOC Architects and Planners, where he has been a CEO since 2009.