In 1863, he was awarded an academic travel grant, which he used to visit Italy and study Renaissance architecture.

He was able to extend his stay there by participating in the preparation of The Buildings of the Renaissance in Tuscany, a book by Heinrich von Förster [de].

In 1867, he returned to Dresden and worked as a building manager for his former teacher, Nicolai, during the construction of the "Villa Meyer [de]" (which was destroyed in World War II).

After that, he became a professor at the academy, but gave up the position in 1875, when the Ministry of Culture prescribed a curriculum with which he did not agree.

His official students included Oswin Hempel [de] and, for a few months, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner.