This seminar systematically examines sustainability strategies in architectural design and relates them to national and international rating systems. The focus is on actively engaging with high-quality existing buildings and their targeted development and enhancement with a view to achieving the highest possible overall performance within established certification systems.

Starting with an introduction to common sustainability rating systems such as DGNB, LEED, and BREEAM, their structure, categories, minimum requirements, and rating logic are analyzed and compared. Building on this, an existing building is systematically compared against the respective criteria, and an iterative process is used to examine how targeted design decisions as well as structural, technical, and operational measures can enhance sustainability assessment performance. Existing building examples serve as a working basis, which is continuously reviewed, adapted, and further developed over the course of the seminar.

The aim of the seminar is to understand sustainability not as a post-hoc evaluation, but as an integral part of the design process. Students should be empowered to critically reflect on the design, systematically develop it further, and use sustainability as a strategic and creative design tool.

- Between Design and Energy Efficiency -

Ambitious climate and sustainability goals are increasingly bringing the climate and energy performance of buildings into focus. Simulation tools are an indispensable resource for architects, enabling them to consider energy efficiency, thermal comfort, and compliance with sustainability standards as early as the initial design phase. At the same time, there is a risk that qualitative, design, and functional aspects will take a back seat in the course of purely technical optimization.

This seminar addresses precisely this intersection. It focuses on the central question of how design and functional conceptual decisions can be meaningfully and integrally linked with climate and energy requirements. The seminar will guide you through the development of a project of your choice, analyzing various parameters (e.g., surroundings, orientation, façade design, material selection, window-to-wall ratios, shading elements, etc.) in terms of their energy potential. Step by step, you will gain solid insights into how design approaches affect energy performance. On this basis, different areas will be systematically compared and evaluated. Our goal is to be able to use simulation tools for energy balancing as targeted design and decision-making instruments in order to develop robust, well-founded design.

The international design studio “Block Stories Vienna – Further Development in an Energy-Efficient Neighborhood” focuses on the development and transformation of a block of buildings within an existing or newly planned urban neighborhood. The aim is to develop ways in which architecture can be designed at the construction site level and how energy-efficient synergies in the neighborhood can be incorporated and further developed. The focus is on the architectural scale: it is not about overarching neighborhood planning, but rather the precise handling of a building ensemble or construction site in the context of urban planning and energy requirements, taking into account the principles of the circular economy and climate change adaptation. The aim is to find creatively independent, functional, and sustainable solutions that reflect and further develop the character of the neighborhood.

In the context of growing housing shortages, urban redensification strategies and the need for sustainable transformation of existing buildings, this seminar focuses on energy simulation for building extensions and additions in an urban context. The emphasis is on linking design quality and energy performance.
The seminar addresses the central question of how design and functional concept decisions can be identified and evaluated from an energy perspective.

The integration of simulation tools in early design decisions are effective instruments for simultaneously optimising architectural quality and energy efficiency. This approach forms the basis for integrative architecture that combines design, use and sustainability.

This is where we come in. In this seminar, we will use case studies to analyse various design parameters (e.g. orientation, façade design, material selection, window area ratios, shading elements, etc.) in terms of their energy impact. By using suitable software (Climate Studio) for energy balancing, we can identify conflicting objectives at an early stage. Step by step, we gain valuable insights into which solutions achieve the greatest energy impact without losing sight of the design aspects. We will compare and evaluate variants in order to make robust decisions.
Note: The first and second appointments on 15 October and 22 October will take place in the meeting room on the upper floor 2A, room 2.14, at 10:00 a.m.

The future guest lecturer house’ project involves rethinking and further developing an existing building on the Vaihingen campus. Previously used as a guest house with mid-term stay apartments, the building exemplifies a current challenge in architecture and urban development: converting existing buildings to a new use in a resource-efficient and climate-conscious manner instead of replacing them with new buildings.
The aim is to investigate and develop sustainable usage scenarios and determine which architectural, technical and design strategies are necessary to upgrade the building's energy efficiency and convert it. The focus is on conversion, further construction and renovation in line with the current debate on sustainable building, circular economy and climate change adaptation. The aim is to find concrete solutions for combining decarbonisation, energy efficiency and the reuse of building components and materials in a meaningful way.
Instead of demolition and new construction, the focus is on rethinking and further development: the aim is to show that existing structures can develop new qualities on an architectural, technical and social level through creative and integrative approaches.

Analysis and principles for designing in energy districts

The seminar ‘PRE:BLOCK – Analysis and principles for designing in energy districts and teaches fundamental concepts and methods that prepare students for the ‘Block Stories Vienna’ design project. The focus is on examining existing and new neighbourhoods that aim to achieve energy efficiency, circular economy and climate change adaptation. International examples are studied, energy systems are analysed and the architectural and urban planning conditions of such neighbourhoods are understood.

Particular emphasis is placed on the analysis of specific urban development areas in Vienna, which are also visited on site as part of an excursion. The excursion will be offered in conjunction with the international design project in the summer semester of 2026. The aim of the seminar is to develop systematic knowledge of district energy planning, low-energy neighbourhoods and communal energy supply and to link this to architectural issues.
The seminar examines typological and urban structures as well as building technology aspects and energy systems on a neighbourhood scale. The analyses and findings developed in the seminar form the content and methodological basis for the subsequent design and enable architecture to be further developed in the context of existing energy conditions.

In the field of sustainable construction, the focus is not only on the energy and resource efficiency of new buildings, but above all on the sustainable management of existing buildings.

The decarbonisation of existing buildings is one of the most significant challenges in this regard. A renovation should not only enable energy and resource savings, but also offer significant added value for users. Residential buildings are particularly important in this context: on the one hand, they make up the majority of our building stock and in most cases, construction work has to be carried out while the building is occupied, which can significantly restrict a comprehensive renovation.

Against this background, we want to deal with the large-volume residential building type of different construction periods in this design and devote ourselves to replicable solutions for architectural densification while simultaneously taking social and ecological sustainability into account. The conversion of energy technology to renewable energy systems as well as the adaptation with regard to climate change and summer overheating are a particular focus here.

The prerequisite is that after the first presentation of the design task, the students independently select a real existing building and research the relevant data for further processing.

We look forward to an exciting selection of objects and a creative implementation of measures for further construction in existing buildings.

Due to the climate crisis and scarcity of raw materials, there is an increasing demand for building concepts that conserve resources and are optimally adapted to their surroundings. In this context, a building is understood as an organism. The use of resources is minimised by pursuing an intelligent overall concept. This is achieved by adapting to the local climate and surroundings, as well as through the intelligent use of materials, building technology and construction.

In this seminar, we will develop energy concepts for buildings. We will run simplified thermal simulation models using software for building evaluation (e.g. Climate-Studio) to examine step by step the interactions between space, material, user comfort and energy demand.

How can decarbonisation succeed in existing buildings?

This seminar addresses the current discourse and change in the construction industry and aims to open up the space for energy-efficient renovations in both theory and practice.

Due to the current global political situation, changing climate conditions and the scarcity of resources, a change of perspective in the construction industry is urgently needed and currently in full swing. The issues are extensive and the development of answers is in the making. One approach that addresses a broad field is working with existing structures. From a building services engineering point of view, this is a challenging task that requires a wide range of interesting approaches.

And it is precisely these approaches that we would like to address in this seminar.

In the first part of the seminar, the necessary specialist knowledge will be developed in theory using reference examples, keynote speeches and discussion rounds. To this end, we will approach various projects/case studies and subject-specific topics in the form of presentations/lectures. Principles of energy-efficient renovation, comparison of solutions, integrative work with existing buildings and the associated conditions are examples of topics that will be examined. This is followed by the ‘project phase’, in which an approach to energy-efficient renovation is to be applied. The processing phases should be carried out in groups and in a participatory manner in order to strengthen the exchange of knowledge and ideas.

This bachelor design studio challenges students to transform an existing building into a vibrant, multifunctional urban space that accommodates diverse activities and serves different community needs. The project focuses on the creation of a new neighbourhood centre and the integration of two central districts of Stuttgart, the Leonhardsviertel and the Bohnenviertel. In addition, the existing structure of the obsolete Züblin car park on the site is to be rethought and reused. By exploring innovative architectural concepts, the design studio aims to promote social and cultural activities in the area, ensure flexible and multi-coded spaces and enhance the green and leisure areas on the site.

Solar shading is a key functional and design element of a building envelope. The choice of shading has a significant influence on the comfort of the occupants and the coziness of the interior. It not only serves to protect against excessive heat, but also regulates the building's lighting and energy supply.             

As it also gives the building its identity and determines its external appearance, the question of how to deal with the issue and which solar shading to use where and how arises time and again.

In this seminar, we will examine the design and functional possibilities of shading by studying exemplary projects. We will analyze in detail the properties and variety of materials of different sun shading systems and explore the construction methods.

Finally, we will apply the knowledge gained in a small design exercise in order to implement the acquired knowledge in architecture.