Feldlabor - Bundesforschungszentrum (BFZ)

EIN FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM FÜR DIE TRANSFORMATION DER NACHKRIEGSMODERNE

M.Sc. | WS 2026/27 | LV1720552

Professur Digital Design and Fabrication

Professor Moritz Dörstelmann, Daniel Fischer

Professur Construction & Design

Professor Andrea Klinge, Ruth Bartelmann, Natascha Steiner

The existing building stock ranks among the most significant resources of the building transition (Bauwende). In view of limited raw materials, rising demands on climate protection and resource efficiency, and a growing need for refurbishment, the further development of existing buildings is increasingly coming into focus. The master's studio is part of the NextBauBW initiative and accompanies the development of the planned Federal Research Centre for Climate-Neutral and Resource-Efficient Construction (BFZ) at KIT.

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At the heart of the studio is the development of a research center that makes the existing building stock itself the object of scientific investigation. Selected buildings are understood as a long-term Living Lab, in which new materials, constructions, technologies and processes are researched, tested and further developed under real-world conditions. The architectural design thereby encompasses the development of a spatial, technical and organisational infrastructure that enables long-term research operations within the existing stock.

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The design process develops strategies for the progressive reactivation of existing buildings. Temporary use activates them as research platforms; long-term transformation prepares them for subsequent use. The studio is jointly supervised by three professorships with complementary expertise and operates within the field of tension between digital technologies, ReUse and circular building construction. The work may be carried out in groups or individually.

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First Meeting: 29.10.2026