The Research Training Group GRK 3123 BioBuild, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), focuses on adaptive components for the building envelope that respond to changing environmental conditions such as temperature, light and humidity. The envelope’s ability to adapt to fluctuating external conditions and changing indoor requirements is crucial for reducing the energy consumption of buildings. As the starting point for these adaptive building components, the Research Training Group is investigating the folding patterns of plants and insects, which exhibit a wide range of complex yet resource- and energy-efficient principles of movement.
The Research Training Group spans disciplines ranging from architecture and engineering to polymer chemistry and biomechanics. It builds on the long-standing successful collaboration between the University of Stuttgart and the University of Freiburg in the field of bio-inspired architecture and brings together the complementary expertise of both institutions in these areas. The spokespersons are Jan Knippers at the University of Stuttgart and Jürgen Rühe at the University of Freiburg.
Funding for the Research Training Group began on 1 April. Following an initial phase of structuring and networking, the PhD students have now commenced their research work. The photograph shows the group of international researchers at the BootCamp in mid-May, under the flax pavilion in the University of Freiburg’s Botanical Garden. The group is joined by Prof. Oneias and Prof. Azari (both from Penn State University, USA) as ‘Mercator Fellows’ of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG).
