He joined the Prussian army in 1779 and became a bombardier in the 1st Artillery Regiment later serving under General von Tempelhoff who kindled an interest in engineering. He then trained as a surveyor and in 1790 became an inspector of buildings. His building department published the first German journal of civil engineering, Sammlung nützlicher Aufsätze und Nachrichten, die Baukunst betreffend and in 1799 he was among the founders of the Berlin Bauakademie ("Building Academy").