Research Programs

The aim of this Research Center is to find answers to the urgent ecological and social challenges of our time. The integration of adaptive elements into supporting structures, envelope systems and interior fittings is considered an important approach to meet this challenge. The SFB 1244 investigates the fundamentals, potential and effects of this approach.

By developing new concepts of adaptivity for all areas of the built environment, SFB 1244 stands for sustainable architecture that takes responsibility for economic, ecological and socio-cultural issues. The basis for the definition of this goal is the common belief of all partners that material and energy consumption in the construction process must be reduced extremely in the near future - while at the same time increasing user comfort.

Adaptivity in the built environment requires a fundamental transformation of the architectural design of buildings. Accordingly, this project concerns both the development of individual building components and their integration into the overall system. Both areas of activity have the same weighting. Only with this integral approach can the construction industry meet the challenges of our time.

An important characteristic of natural structures is their multi-layered, hierarchically structured, finely tuned and highly differentiated combination of a few basic molecular components leading to structures that are characterized by multiple networked functions.

Recent developments in computational design, simulation and fabrication offer new options for the transfer of these principles to the macro-scale of building construction and other fields of technology. Our aim is not only to increase performance, but also to transfer the inherent ecological properties of natural constructions, i.e. mainly the efficient usage of limited resources and closed material cycles, and thereby to contribute to sustainability in architecture and technology.

The entire programme is conceptualized as a dialogue: the functionally important features of the biological systems will be abstracted into a model representing the properties of interest and the underlying design principles. This model will serve as a basis for the simulation of functional morphology and for technical implementation. With regard to the process of ‚reverse biomimetics‘, the results will represent the foundations for further investigations and a more detailed understanding of the investigated biological systems.

As a general goal, the programme aims to contribute to the conceptualization and foundation of biomimetics as a scientific discipline in the context of architecture and building technologies.