Seminar for Master students
Only in winter semester
The seminar focuses on the investigation, abstraction and transfer of biological strategies into technical applications. Students will work in interdisciplinary teams to investigate biological role models within a bottom up process and will be searching for solution strategies towards specific aspects by exploring biological role models within a top down process. Computational simulation and analysis tools are used to find model representations for biologic processes and investigate functional principles.
Evolutionary processes in nature generated manifold solutions in respond to environmental and performative demands, where various functional and form generative aspects have to be integrated in a coherent system. While a number of those aspects can be easily transferred to architectural aspects, natural organisms are working radically different from today’s construction and planning practice. While nature evolved highly energy and material efficient solutions, based on geometrical and material diff erentiation, today’s construction industry and design processes are mostly based on the standardization of elements and the addition of mono functional subsystems. Recent developments of computaional design and digital fabrication processes have initiated a fundamental paradigm shift from industrial
production of standardized elements towards an integrated design processes. This development opens up the possibilities to create architectural systems which are characterized by multifunctional geometrically differentiated structures, which can match the capacity of nature’s performative morphologies, and thereby enables us to transfer functional principles of natural organisms into architectural applications.
Contact: Dr. Axel Körner
Lectures in German
Time: Wednesday, 9.45 -11:15 a.m.
Room: Lecture hall 17.02, Keplerstr. 17
Start: 08.04.2026
Anmeldung auf Campus und Ilias erforderlich
Übungen
Dienstag 11.30 – 13.00 Uhr in den Arbeitsräumen des ersten Semesters, Keplerstr. 11
Anmeldung auf Campus und Ilias erforderlich
Die nächste schriftliche Prüfung im Modul Tragkonstruktionen 1 findet im September 2026 statt.
Wo? Ort wird noch bekannt gegeben.
Außer nicht programmierbarem Taschenrechner und Zeichenwerkzeug sind keine Hilfsmittel zugelassen (kein Vorlesungsmitschrieb oder Tabellenbücher etc.).
Die notwendigen Tabellen werden Ihnen zusammen mit den Aufgaben ausgehändigt.
Der Rücktritt von dieser Prüfung ist bis zu 7* Tage vor dem Prüfungstermin ohne Angabe von Gründen möglich.
Zur Vorbereitung auf die Prüfung finden Sie Übungen und Lösungen und alte Prüfungen auf ILIAS.
* Beachten Sie dazu die aktuellen Erklärungen des Prüfungsamts.
Kontakt: Prof. Dr. Jan Knippers
Lectures in German
Time: Wednesday, 9:45 - 11:15 a.m.
Room: M2.01, Breitscheidstr. 2A
Pflichtfach mit 3 Leistungspunkten (WS + SS)
Vorlesungen und Hausübungen
Die Downloads enthalten nicht den vollständigen Inhalt der Vorlesungen, sondern nur Arbeitshilfen und Berechnungstabellen. Der Bezug zur Architektur wird in der Vorlesung mit zahlreichen Anwendungsbeispielen, Arbeitsmodellen und weiteren Zahlenbeispielen hergestellt.
Kontakt: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jan Knippers
Block Course only in summer semester
For ITECH students only
In this course we visit different leading companies of building and other key industries, ground-breaking buildings, interesting building sites, and world heritage spots in Baden Württemberg or bavaria,
Program on Ilias.
Seminar for Master students
Only in winter semester
The seminar focuses on the interplay between geometry and structural behaviour of different structural types categorised with respect to the load bearing mechanism. In particular on form-active and surface-active structures. Beginning with an introduction from ancient to the newest form-finding approaches a holistic overview is provided.
First experimental approaches are used to determine
the shape with respect to a certain initially wanted structural state. Followed by the detailed introduction of the latest numerical form-finding methods. With the aid of digital modelling software and scripting tools. An overview of the mathematical background is provided to enable the participants to understand and evaluate of the applicability and limits of each method.
The state-of-the-art form-finding methods are put to use on practical examples where form and structural states are investigated and manipulated. The detailing and the realization of the designed systems are discussed.
Prerequisites
Rhinoceros skills. The seminar is taught in English. The students should be familiar with the architectural possibilities of membrane and shell structures in order to use them in their design projects.
Literature
Construction manual for polymers and membrane; J. Knippers, J. Lienhard, M. Gabler, J. Cremers; Detail Munich; ISBN: 978-3-0346-0726-1
Shell structures for architecture; S. Adriaenssens, P. Block, D. Veenendaal, C. Williams; Routledge New York; ISBN: 978-0-415-84059-0
Contact: Mykhaylo Kazmiruk
Design Studio for Bachelor and Master students (in German)
Time: Tuesday, 2 - 6 p.m.
Room: studio, Geschwister-Scholl-Str. 24, 6th floor
Design-Build Project: KREISRUND – a circular theater in Stuttgart's Stadtgarten park designed for sustainability
Until the 2000s, the Stadtgarten on the Stadtmitte campus was home to “Die Spinne” (The Spider) – a wooden octagonal seating area, similar to a round theater, whose steps, supported by eight spider legs, provided decades of shade for students.
The idea submitted as part of the “Glow up our campus!” initiative is now to be implemented with financial support from the rectorate, and a successor to “Die Spinne” is to be built.
As part of this design-build project, the students will design a folie (French for small park architecture) in circular timber construction and test the possibilities of circular timber construction in DIY.
The aim is to create a structure that can remain in place for the next 50 years or be dismantled and rebuilt after a short period of use. In addition to structural wood protection, a robust concept must be developed that allows for the replacement of parts for maintenance and dismantling purposes, but is also resistant to possible vandalism.
The design is based on modern and traditional strategies of circular construction with wood: a dismantlable wooden structure consisting of reversibly joined, repetitive components is just as conceivable as the integration of old, reused wood in an iterative design process.
Based on the requirements of circular construction and the possibilities of industrial prefabrication or procurement of reused components, concepts are developed in group work, which converge into a joint design over the course of the semester and are planned through to implementation readiness. Implementation in self-build with craftsmanship support will take place at the end of the semester in summer 2026.
The teaching project is part of the research group “Innovations in Timber Construction” of the visiting professors at IBK and ITKE. With a focus on circular and low-emission construction with wood, we are continuing on from the winter semester and offering two design-build projects. Participation in the accompanying seminars “Future Timber II” and “How to Exhibition” is strongly recommended, and at least one of them is mandatory.
Design supervision takes place on Tuesday afternoons. The schedule will be presented during the design presentation.
A central component of the course is the structural implementation of the project by the students.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Contact: Visiting professor Jana Nowak
Seminar for Master students
Only in winter semester
The seminar is intended to substantially prepare students for the appropriate, efficient, and low-emission application of construction materials in structures.
Understanding the properties, load-bearing behaviour, and performance of structural materials such as concrete, steel, and timber, as well as composite materials, masonry, glass, and bio- or geo-based materials such as natural stone and clay, enables their intentional and effective use in architectural and structural design.
Manufacturing processes will be examined to understand the embodied carbon (GWP) of each material, and the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method will be introduced to quantify the whole-life carbon of materials and structures. Principles of lightweight construction are studied to design components such as slabs and columns, as well as long-span structures like trusses and shells, with minimal material use, low emissions, and high structural performance.
Through practical design exercises, students develop structural solutions combining low material and resource consumption with high load-bearing capacity. Timber is examined in depth, with a particular focus on the material, resource, and emission efficiency of various engineered wood products. To use timber in an ecologically beneficial way, it is essential to understand the resource and emission flow along the lifecycle of wood.
Contact: N.N., Jan David Kleefeldt