Timber, Water, and Architecture in Early Modern Peru
This research project brings together the environmental history of architecture, transcultural studies, and cultural landscape research. It examines how built and unbuilt environments in the early modern Viceroyalty of Peru functioned as a complex, interconnected system under colonial conditions. Case studies address the production of building materials—particularly timber—as well as transportation, water management, and climate-specific construction practices. Central to the analysis is the extractive colonial logic that treated both the environment and people as resources, thereby consolidating asymmetric power structures. Yet within these constraints, transcultural processes enabled the subversive preservation of indigenous knowledge, through both applied techniques and building materials.
Potosí, La Merced, cedar artesonado, early 17th century. ©Marco Silvestri
Facts
| Project duration: | 2026–2027 |
| KIT researchers: | Dr. Marco Silvestri – Chair of the History of Building and Architecture |
A Temporary Extension of the Digital Workshop of the Faculty of Architecture
In response to the growing spatial demands of digital design and fabrication processes, the project provides a suitable environment while simultaneously serving as a built research prototype. Its structural system is based on reclaimed timber, forming a load-bearing framework that emphasizes material reuse. The foundation consists of stone-filled gabion structures, eliminating the need for conventional concrete. A modular timber system enables disassembly and reuse, while façade elements and windows are sourced from the “urban mine.” In this way, the building functions not only as a workshop space but also as a material experiment and a temporary repository of resources.
Rendering of the 2021 design – view of the southwest facade. ©NB, Manuel Rausch
Facts
| Program: | KIT Department of Architecture – Digital Workshop Spaces |
| Overall budget: | €650,000 |
| KIT’s Role: | Project developer | Project designer |
| Project duration: | 2025–2027 |
| KIT researchers: |
Prof. Dirk E. Hebel, Manuel Rausch – Chair of Sustainable Construction ; Prof. Moritz Dörstelmann, Erik Zanetti, Daniel Fischer – Chair of Digital Design and Fabrication ; Prof. Dr. Riccardo La Magna, Tamara Haußer – Chair of Structural Design |
Modular Lightweight Ceiling System Based on Compressed Mycelium Composite Shells
MyCeiling is developing a modular, bio-based lightweight ceiling system using compressed mycelium composite shells reinforced with wood and bamboo structures. The project is the first to explore the use of mycelium as a structural material in load-bearing ceiling elements through optimized shell geometries, material formulations, and scalable manufacturing processes such as fiber injection molding and hot pressing. Mechanical, fire, and durability performance are systematically investigated, while digital design and fabrication methods enable the efficient production of circular, CO₂-reducing building systems.
Compressed mycelium shell elements for modular ceiling systems. ©NB, Manuel Rausch
Facts
| Funder: | Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs, and Spatial Development (BBSR, Germany) |
| Program: | Zukunft Bau – Innovation Program |
| Total budget: | €550,000 |
| Grant amount: | €29,000 (KIT) |
| KIT’s role: | Project partner |
| Project duration: | 2025–2027 |
| KIT researchers: |
Prof. Dirk E. Hebel, Dr. Nazanin Saeidi, Dr. Alireza Javadian – Chair of Sustainable Construction ; Prof. Dr. Riccardo La Magna – Chair of Structural Design |
Project partners
University of Kassel, Fiber Engineering GmbH.
Transdisciplinary analysis and piloting of serial renovation strategies that maximize the urban mining principle for skeleton buildings from the 1960s to the 1980s
The UMiSeSa research explores how circular economy principles can be integrated into serial renovation concepts for existing buildings. The main goal is to reduce CO2 emissions based on LCA and energy demand. A two-story facade pilot on the KIT South Campus tests this approach using natural, regional materials and incorporating reused components. The project includes a detailed building analysis, pollutant assessment, and monitoring during the heating season. The results will form a practical guideline and evaluate the potential for expansion, supporting a scalable, resource-efficient transformation of the building stock.
Visualization of the 2026 design: view of the south facade. ©NB
Facts
| Funder: | Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs, and Spatial Development (BBSR) on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development, and Building (BMWSB, Germany) |
| Program: | Zukunft Bau – Innovation Program |
| Total budget: | €363,706 |
| Grant amount: | €55,217 (Sustainable Construction, Prof. Dirk E. Hebel) |
| KIT’s role: | Project partner |
| Project duration: | 2025–2027 |
| KIT researchers: |
Prof. Dr. Riccardo La Magna – Chair of Structural Design, Prof. Dr. Dirk Hebel – Chair of Sustainable Construction , Prof. Dr. Andreas Wagner – Chair of Building Science and Technology , Prof. Dr. Kunibert Lennerts – Chair of Technology and Management in Construction |
Project partners
KIT SE4 Planning and Construction, Zirkular, Zimmerei Grünspecht e. G., Almosch Holzbau GmbH.
Contact
Elke Widmann
Phone: +49 721 608 42167
elke.widmann∂kit.edu
Fanny Kaiser Hirt
Phone: +49 721 608 42167
fanny.kaiserhirt∂kit.edu
Circular Economy Transition Manager – Guiding companies in the furniture value chain to implement their transition strategy toward a more circular economy
CirCLER provides an innovative training toolkit to help the furniture industry successfully manage the transition to a circular economy across the entire value chain. The new professional profile, Circular Economy Transition Manager, is tailored to the furniture industry’s need for green, digital, and cross-functional skills. The new joint curricula (EQF Levels 4, 5, 6) are being developed alongside the accompanying interactive training toolkit. Their development takes into account the EU principles of quality, transparency, and mobility (ECVET, ECTS, EQF, EQAVET). The part-time training program will be available in 6 EU languages and will target students and employees through customizable training pathways.
Facts
| Funder: | European Union |
| Program: | ERASMUS-EDU-2022-PI-ALL-INNO-EDU-ENTERP |
| Total budget: | €1,169,043 |
| KIT’s role: | Project partner |
| Project duration: | 2024–2027 |
| KIT researchers: |
Dr. Volker Koch, Maria Victoria Gomez Gomez – Chair of Building Lifecycle Management |
Project partners
AMBIT – Interior Furnishings and Hotel Contract Cluster and Innovation Hub (Spain), FLA – Italian Federation of the Wood, Cork, Furniture, Lighting, and Interior Design Industries (Italy), ATU – Atlantic Technological University (Ireland), CETEM – Business Association for Research and Technology Center for Furniture and Wood in the Region of Murcia (Spain), POLIMI – Politecnico di Milano (Italy), CSM – Centro Sperimentale del Mobile e dell’Arredamento S.r.l. (Italy), ASLAM – ASLAM Social Cooperative (Italy), FORZA – FORZA Agency for Sustainable Development of the Carpathian Region (nonprofit organization) (Ukraine), UVA – University of Vaasa (Finland), METODO – Metodo Estudios Consultores, S.L. (Spain), UNITBV – Transylvania University of Brașov (Romania), EFIC – European Furniture Industries Confederation (Belgium), FURV – Fundació URV (Spain), UNFU – Ukrainian National Forestry University (Ukraine), CPI – Center of the Republic of Slovenia for Vocational Education (Slovenia).
100% Bio-Based and Circular Material Alternative to Wood-Based Panels for Sustainable Construction
The project addresses the growing need for sustainable construction materials by sequestering biogenic carbon from wood processing residues and agricultural waste and producing circular building materials using fungal mycelium as a natural binder. The project converts industrial and agricultural residues into sustainable insulation and engineered wood products. Technical tests on thermal and acoustic insulation, mechanical properties, and durability ensure that the panels and lightweight mycelium materials meet the standards of the construction and furniture industries. A feasibility study, life cycle assessment, and cost analysis will further evaluate environmental benefits, scalability, and economic viability. Finally, a soundproof room demonstrator will be built to assess usability and performance and support future market introduction.
Material prototypes based on mycelium and lignocellulosic waste streams. ©NB
Facts
| Funder: | Baden-Württemberg Stiftung gGmbH |
| Program: | Circular Building – Climate Protection through the Circular Economy |
| Total budget: | €279,288 |
| Grant amount: | €279,288 |
| KIT’s role: | Project partner |
| Project duration: | 2024–2026 |
| KIT researchers: |
Dr. Nazanin Saeidi – Chair of Sustainable Construction ; Dr. Rebekka Volk, Xin Ying Chan – Institute for Industrial Production |
Project partners
Agrarinnovationen Hahnennest GmbH, Fiber Engineering GmbH, König + Neurath AG.
Robotics and AI-Based Recovery of Secondary Material Streams in the Digital Prefabrication of Load-Bearing Timber-Clay Composite Components
ReSidual uses digital building technology to reduce timber consumption in construction. Production offcuts are joined into load-bearing components using AI and robotic fabrication, while combining timber with building clay further reduces the demand for wood. The project investigates AI-based planning, robotic fabrication methods, mono-material joining techniques, and clay-timber composites. A 1:1-scale prototype of a reclaimed timber-clay composite ceiling is built, acoustically tested, and subjected to destructive load testing. The findings assess the structural and architectural potential of this circular, wood-saving construction method as an alternative to conventional timber-concrete composite slabs.
Facts
| Funder: | Climate Protection Foundation Baden-Württemberg |
| Program: | BW Circular Construction |
| Grant amount: | €198,000 |
| Project duration: | 2024–2026 |
| KIT researchers: |
Prof. Moritz Dörstelmann – Chair of Digital Design and Fabrication Prof. Philipp Dietsch – Chair of Timber Structures and Building Construction |
Project partner
GROPYUS Technologies GmbH.
Reuse Demonstrator
Dealing with existing structures will be one of the most important tasks in Germany and Europe in the future. With this hands-on research project, we offer a real-world platform that enables students to practice key techniques and fundamental principles of circular construction in the building sector. The project began with a deconstruction workshop. The students learned to measure and assess the recovered materials and set up a digital material repository with material passports. Afterward, students were asked to design a storage and service building, using the parts obtained from the deconstruction in a fully circular manner, including additional materials from the urban mine.
The final design of BelEtage, using recovered materials from the urban mine. ©NB, Manuel Rausch
Facts
| Funder: | FSV Ebringen |
| Program: | Public-academic partnership |
| Total budget: | €330,000 |
| KIT’s role: | Project partner |
| Project duration: | 2023–2027 |
| KIT researchers: | Prof. Dirk E. Hebel, Manuel Rausch, Michael Hosch, Hanna Hoss, Fanny Kaiser Hirt, Elena Boerman, Luca Diefenbacher, Oskar Emmrich – Chair of Sustainable Construction |
Project partners
Badenova, Fairways, South Baden Soccer Association, Naturenergie.
Robotic Manufacturing of Wood–Mycelium Composites for Scalable Circular Building Systems
HOME II builds upon the previously developed wood–mycelium composite system by integrating mycelium growth into a robotic, additive manufacturing process. The project enables the automated production of bio-based components by combining 3D wood lattice fabrication with the digitally controlled deposition of living mycelium substrates. It develops new joining systems, material gradation strategies, and scalable fabrication workflows for CO₂-neutral, acoustically optimized lightweight partition systems. Mechanical, acoustic, and structural performance are validated through experiments and simulations, while circular value chains and digital design tools support industrial upscaling.
Robot-assisted additive manufacturing of wood–mycelium composite structures. ©Nicolas Wefers, University of Kassel
Facts
| Funder: | Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs, and Spatial Development (BBSR, Germany) |
| Program: | Zukunft Bau – Innovation Program |
| Total budget: | €667,369 |
| Grant amount: | €248,000 |
| KIT’s role: | Project partner |
| Project duration: | 2023–2025 |
| KIT researchers: | Prof. Dirk E. Hebel, Dr. Nazanin Saeidi, Dr. Alireza Javadian – Chair of Sustainable Construction |
Project partners
University of Kassel (Project Lead), KIT Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, ARUP Germany, KU Leuven.
Tool for the Quick and Cost-Effective Evaluation of the Potential for Converting Existing Office Buildings into Residential Use
The project provides a digital tool for the rapid and cost-effective evaluation of the potential for converting office buildings into residential use. In the first step, the tool uses artificial intelligence to identify structurally relevant building components and their geometric properties in standard pixel-based office floor plans. The tool generates optimized residential layout schemes within the existing building structures. To do so, it draws on plan grammars based on selected residential building references. These references are particularly well-suited for addressing the challenges involved in converting office buildings into residential use: building depth and geometry.
Testing grammars based on varying geometries of office buildings. ©R+E
Facts
| Project duration: | 2022–ongoing |
| KIT researchers: |
Prof. Marc Frohn, Tim Panzer, Jasmin Hoffmann, Masa Mori – Chair of Architectural Space and Design ; Prof. Dr. Hartmut Prautzsch – Institute for Visualization and Data Analysis |
Project partners
Working Group on Applied Geometry (CAGD).
Development of Bio-based Composite Materials Using Mycelium and Waste Streams for Circular Construction
This project investigates the development of NEWood, a fully bio-based composite material made from wood and agricultural waste bound with fungal mycelium. It addresses the environmental impact of conventional construction materials by replacing synthetic binders and reducing reliance on virgin resources. The research focuses on optimizing material formulations, exploring scalable manufacturing processes such as fiber injection molding and compression molding, and developing initial prototypes for construction and interior applications. The project establishes the scientific and technological foundation for circular, low-carbon material systems and future industrial scaling.
NEWood samples produced at MycoLab IEB. ©Tobias Wootton
Facts
| Funder: | KIT Sustainable and Responsible Innovation Challenge (SaRI/ARRTI) |
| Program: | Excellence Strategy – Responsible Innovation Initiative |
| Total budget: | €40,000 |
| Grant amount: | €40,000 |
| KIT’s role: | Project partner |
| Project duration: | 2022–2023 |
| KIT researchers: | Dr. Nazanin Saeidi, Dr. Alireza Javadian – Chair of Sustainable Construction |
Project partners
Fiber Engineering GmbH.
Development of a Selection Methodology for the Design of Architectural Components in the Context of the Circular Economy
This research examines circular construction by viewing joining technology as an organizational and systemic decision rather than a purely material one. It focuses on how the logic of construction systems determines reversibility, disassembly, and reuse. Based on this, a selection methodology for systematic planning in architecture is developed, enabling architects to specifically select building systems according to their circular performance and circular strategy.
Joining technologies as a separate layer of information in a two-dimensional horizontal drawing of an exterior wall. ©NB, Daniela Schneider, Dirk Hebel
Facts
| Program: | dissertation |
| Project duration: | 2020–ongoing |
| KIT researchers: | Daniela Schneider, external Ph.D. candidate – Chair of Sustainable Construction |
The KIT Materials Library underwent a complete redesign from 2020 to 2023. The renovation and architectural redesign were carried out in accordance with the principles of circular construction, using recycled and reused materials. In addition to technical repairs, the historic ceiling was uncovered and the parquet floor refinished. Discarded magazine racks now serve as exhibition and storage areas for the material samples. The library’s content was also reoriented; for example, building materials are no longer presented as semi-finished products but as pure building materials that can circulate in the biological or technical cycle without loss of quality or that consist of secondary raw materials. The physical facilities are complemented by a materials database maintained by the Materialbibliothek Deutscher Hochschulen (MDH) network.
View of the KIT Materials Library. ©Zooey Braun
Facts
| Funder: | Wacker Chemie AG, KIT Department of Architecture – Professorship of Sustainable Construction |
| Program: | Department of Architecture – Teaching and Research |
| Total budget: | €300,000 |
| Grant amount: | €300,000 |
| KIT’s role: | Project partner |
| Project duration: | 2020–2023 |
| KIT researchers: |
Prof. Dirk E. Hebel, Sandra Böhm, Elena Boerman – Chair of Sustainable Construction ; Thomas Kinsch – ARCH Material Library |
Project partners
Manuel Rausch, studio-mra.
A Rammed Earth Building in Ebringen near Freiburg
Tanja’s Gardenhouse is a student-led project developed during a seminar in the summer semester of 2021. Using excavated soil from a nearby pool construction site, a rammed earth gardenhouse was built on site. The project explored the use of standardized concrete formwork for rammed earth construction and tested suitable mixtures of clay with sand and gravel. Designed as a hands-on workshop, it provided practical experience with earth as a building material. Reclaimed windows from a demolished Art Nouveau villa were incorporated, while large sandstone blocks from the same source form the foundation. In this way, the building combines experimentation with materials with the reuse of local resources.
Art Nouveau window combined with a rammed-earth wall on a sandstone foundation. ©NB, Lisa Behringer
Facts
| Program: | Private-academic partnership |
| KIT’s Role: | Project partner |
| Project duration: | 2020 |
| KIT researchers: |
Prof. Dirk E. Hebel, Sandra Böhm, Katharina Blümke – Chair of Sustainable Construction ; Prof. Rosemarie Wagner, Stefan Sander – Chair of Building Technology |
A Circular Pavilion for the German Federal Garden Show (BUGA) in Heilbronn, 2019
The Mehr.WERT.Pavilion addresses the question of how we can bring about a paradigm shift in the way we use resources—moving away from the currently dominant linear economy toward a circular economy characterized by closed and pure material cycles. The pavilion makes use of the existing “urban mine”; for example, the load-bearing structure is made from reused steel sourced from a decommissioned coal-fired power plant. Furthermore, it serves as a material depot. The materials used in construction are therefore selected and utilized in such a way that, after the building is dismantled, they can be fully returned to clean and pure material cycles for reuse, recycling, or biodegradation. The aim is to discuss key issues in construction and the associated use of resources with decision-makers from politics, construction planning, and implementation, and to develop new, innovative concepts, applications, and methods for both practice and education.
Mehr.WERT.Pavillon – BUGA Heilbronn 2019. ©Zooey Braun
Facts
| Funders: | GreenCycle GmbH, DSD – Duales System Holding GmbH & Co. KG, SER Sanierung im Erd- und Rückbau GmbH, Heilbronn 2019 Federal Horticultural Show |
| Program: | Heilbronn 2019 Federal Horticultural Show |
| Total budget: | €330,000 |
| Grant amount: | €80,000 |
| KIT’s role: | Project partner |
| Project duration: | 2018–2018 |
| KIT researchers: |
Prof. Dirk E. Hebel, Felix Heisel, Lisa Krämer, Karsten Schlesier, Simon Sommer, Philipp Staab, Sophie Welter, Katna Wiese – Chair of Sustainable Construction ; Prof. Rosemarie Wagner – Chair of Building Technology |
Project partners
2hs Architects and Engineers, PartGmbB Hebel Heisel Schlesier, Lisa Krämer, Simon Sommer, Prof. Matthias Pfeifer, AMF Theaterbauten GmbH, Udo Rehm/FC-Planung GmbH, Gebr. A. & F. Hinderthür GmbH, Elektro-Scheu GmbH, Kaufmann Carpentry and Joinery GmbH, Manuel Rausch, Filmbüro – Video Production Stuttgart, AMF Theaterbauten GmbH, Deutsche Foamglas GmbH, Glas Trösch GmbH, Hagedorn GmbH, Handy-Aktion Baden-Württemberg, Heinrich Feeß GmbH & Co. KG, Institute for Environmental and Future Research – Bochum Observatory, Magna Naturstein GmbH, Really ApS, Schröder Bauzentrum GmbH/DeFries, Smile Plastics, SPITZER-Rohstoffhandelsgesell. mbH Selb, StoneCycling BV, Studio Dirk Vander Kooij.
Innovative Resources for the Construction Industry
HOME II builds upon the previously developed wood–mycelium composite system by integrating mycelium growth into a robotic, additive manufacturing process. The project enables the automated production of bio-based components by combining 3D wood lattice fabrication with the digitally controlled deposition of living mycelium substrates. It develops new joining systems, material gradation strategies, and scalable fabrication workflows for CO₂-neutral, acoustic lightweight partition systems. Mechanical, acoustic, and structural performance are validated through experiments and simulations, while circular value chains and digital design tools support industrial upscaling.
The MycoTree at the Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism, 2017. ©Carlina Teteris
Facts
| Funder: | Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism, ETH Zurich |
| Program: | Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism |
| Total budget: | €360,000 |
| Grant amount: | €180,000 |
| KIT’s role: | Project partner |
| Project duration: | 2017 |
| KIT researchers: | Prof. Dirk E. Hebel, Dr. Nazanin Saeidi, Dr. Alireza Javadian – Chair of Sustainable Construction |
Project partners
ETH Zurich – Block Research Group, FCL Singapore.
A Demonstrator for a Circular Economy in the Construction Industry
The Urban Mining & Recycling (UMAR) Experimental Unit is part of the NEST research building on the campus of the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) in Dübendorf, Switzerland. The project is designed to be fully reusable, recyclable, or compostable. This places life-cycle thinking at the forefront of the design: Instead of merely using and subsequently disposing of resources, they are borrowed from their technical and biological cycles for a certain amount of time before being put back into circulation once again. UMAR functions simultaneously as a materials laboratory and a temporary material storage facility.
TUMAR Unit in Dübendorf, Switzerland. ©Zooey Braun
Facts
| Funder: | Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research (EMPA) |
| Program: | Next Evolution in Sustainable Technology (NEST) |
| Total budget: | Approx. €960,000 |
| Grant amount: | Approx. €480,000 |
| Role of KIT: | Project partner |
| Project duration: | 2014–2017 |
| KIT researchers: | Prof. Dirk E. Hebel – Chair of Sustainable Construction |
Project partners
Prof. Dr. Dr. Werner Sobek (University of Stuttgart), Prof. Felix Heisel (Cornell University), Bernd Köhler (Werner Sobek AG).
The Potential of Biological Insulation Materials for an Ecological and Circular Transformation in Construction
This research project investigates the quantitative and qualitative potential of insulation materials that are 100% biological and can therefore circulate within the biological cycle. A key research question is what quantities of fossil- and mineral-based insulation materials can be replaced by 100% biological insulation materials. The research aims to further establish renewable raw materials in building material production and thereby significantly reduce dependence on finite resources. In this context, insulation materials made from renewable raw materials can make a significant contribution to the transformation of the construction and materials industry toward an emission-free building sector.
Seaweed—a 100% biological insulation material. ©KIT Faculty of Architecture, Photo Workshop
Facts
| Program: | dissertation |
| Project duration: | 2021–ongoing |
| KIT researchers: | Sandra Böhm – Chair of Sustainable Construction |
A Teaching and Research Series on Straw Construction as a Scalable Strategy for Contemporary Architecture
In the summer semester of 2025, the teaching and research series began with a foundational seminar and a field trip to Switzerland focused on straw construction. In July 2025, a symposium was held focusing on scalability in straw construction. The content, visual materials, and research findings are currently being compiled into a compendium. The focus is on Building Class IV and its potential in straw construction. This work is currently leading to the publication “Straw – Construction Manual” (Edition Detail Verlag). At the same time, Annastasia Hochmuth is beginning her doctoral research at the KHB on the construction principles of straw-insulated wood-frame construction, with a focus on Building Classes IV and V.
Photo: Atelier Kaiser Shen/P. Schneider, Book: KHB
Facts
| KIT researchers: |
T.T.-Prof. Florian Kaiser, Jule Büchle, Annastasia Hochmuth – Chair of Circular Wood Construction |
Project partners
Detail Verlag.