© Dominic Faltien

The KIT Materials Library houses an extensive collection of material samples, whose haptic experience and critical evaluation is of particular importance for the education of architects in our view. It provides the opportunity to learn about both established, well-known and new, innovative materials and technologies.

The extensive physical collection of material samples - and in the future also associated, digital data sets - not only serves to deepen and illustrate the teaching of materials at the department, but also provides students with valuable assistance for working on practice assignments as well as in the design process. The material samples can be borrowed and used by students in the context of project developments and presentations.

Research focus of the KIT Materials Library

In the KIT Materials Library, a special focus is placed on building materials that either originate from local availability or local production, that can be composted in the biological cycle or recycled in the technical cycle without loss of quality, or that consist of secondary, reused, or recycled raw materials of the anthropogenic stockpile. These focal points on important issues of the 21st century make the KIT Materials Library an international focal point for targeted research and teaching.

© Dominic Faltien

The Materials Library is intended to function as a vessel for knowledge storage and knowledge transfer regarding innovative building materials for the present and the future, in order to educate the new generation of visionary and interested young people who are able to think transdisciplinarily and scientifically and to act sustainably.

The Material Library of the MDH

Within the framework of the cooperation "Material Library of German Universities MDH", which currently already includes the Bergische Universität Wuppertal and the Münster School of Architecture and whose network will be expanded in the future with other colleges and universities, the digital component to the material library, the material database, is being developed. This database will be built, filled, and maintained in cooperation with the other universities. In the future, it will also be openly accessible on the KIT Material Library website and contain extensive data sets on the material samples of the Material Library's inventory.

Use of the KIT Material Library at the Department of Architecture

Changing exhibitions in the KIT Materials Library provide information on specific topics, such as natural insulating materials, native wood species, or recyclable materials. Student work from the subject of materials science (Bachelor) as well as from materials-specific research seminars (Master) is permanently integrated into the materials library, both digitally and physically. The students themselves are thus actively involved in the expansion of the materials library.

© Bernd Seeland

The premises of the KIT Materials Library can be used for seminars, workshops, and lectures. In addition, there are three open workstations for students in the library gallery, which can be used for further research.

As a central institution of the KIT Department of Architecture, the KIT Materialbiblitohek helps our students to critically and intensively deal with the goals and the challenges, with the present and the future of construction.

We look forward to your visit!

Opening hours

Monday to Friday
09.00 to 12.00 h and 14.00 to 17.00 h