Ueli Zbinden graduated in architecture from ETH Zurich in 1972 under Rolf Gutmann and worked at Schmid, Schwarz & Gutmann and Tihamer Koncz in Zurich until 1979. From 1979 to 1984, Zbinden taught as a research assistant at ETH Zurich and until 1991 as a research assistant at the gta Institute at ETH Zurich. In 1985 he founded an architectural office in Zurich. From 1991 to 1992 he was a visiting professor at the EPF Lausanne, from 1992 to 1993 he lectured at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences Winterthur, and from 1993 to 1994 he was a visiting professor at the ETH Zurich. In 1994, Ueli Zbinden was appointed university professor at the Technical University of Munich, a position he held until 2011. Ueli Zbinden was appointed to the Association of Swiss Architects in 1993 and is a member of the Swiss Association of Engineers and Architects.