ITECH Master Studio

We are excited to share the stunning video of our ITECH Research Demonstrator 2025!

Responsive Morphology presents an integrated approach to façade design that rethinks thermal mass for an era of circular and lightweight construction. Instead of relying on heavy materials to maintain indoor comfort, this project explores how computational design, large-scale additive manufacturing, and responsive materials can be integrated into a recyclable wall system for lightweight buildings.

Please find more information through the link in our bio.

The project was designed and fabricated by Master’s students from the ITECH Class of 2025 and the researchers at the Cluster of Excellence IntCDC - Integrative Computational Design and Construction for Transformative Architecture at the University of Stuttgart.

ICD: Ekin Sila Sahin, Prof. Achim Menges
ICD/CA: Anni Dai, Prof. Thomas Wortmann
ITKE: Fabian Eidner, Edith Anahi Gonzalez, Axel Körner, Prof. Jan Knippers
ITECH Class 2025: Nadine Aderhold, Muhamad Faiz Bashir Ahamed, Yu-Lun Chiu, Michał Deja, Hüseyin Düzenli, Farouk El Kihal, Juan David Frank, David Gallego, Jonas Gorges, Lianhan Huang, Hosung Jung, Wataru Kimura, Athina Kotrozou, Likhinya Kvs, Kai Jie Kwang, Stefan Lang, Jiuyuan Liu, Bryan Martino, Jonas Mertens, Til Müller, Jack Otto, Gary Papke, Nicolas Pousa, Pouria Shahhoseini Nia, Alfiia Shakurianova, Shaqayeq Tahavvori, Julien Todd, Guanyu Wang, Qu Wang

With support of: CEAD B.V., BEC GmbH, TITK - Thuringian Institute for Textile and Plastics Research, Philip Duncan, Ronan Hayes, Michael Ilewicz, Rahul Mehendiratta, Michael Preisack, Katja Rinderspacher, Michael Schneider, Aaron Wagner, Christoph Zechmeister

Project Support: School for Talents – University of Stuttgart, Cluster of Excellence IntCDC , DFG German Research Foundation

Video credits: ITECH/ICD/ITKE University of Stuttgart

Form, Find, and Play
S. de Uría, M. Hruntes, A. Mzannar

Form and Structure Seminar ()
M. Kazmiruk, E. A. Gonzalez, F. Eidner, L. Riedel, G. Neubauer, V. Wagner, Prof. Dr.-Ing. J. Knippers

The project develops a playground that enables children’s exploration while allowing parents in the adjacent café clear visual supervision. Two existing trees are used as fixed constraints to define a primary structural spine. From these points, a closed curve composed of catenary segments forming an infinity loop is generated and used for form-finding in Kangaroo2, where crossing distances, inflation for volumetric depth, and anchor positions for supports are controlled. The optimized spine is converted into a tubular surface and discretized through hexagonal tiling; linear members extracted from these panels define the structural frame. A second Kangaroo2 optimization regulates member lengths (10–60 cm), avoids collisions via radius control, and preserves panel planarity, reducing unique members from 485 to 9. Structural evaluation in Karamba3D, with cross-section optimization via Opossum, minimizes diameters while maintaining stability, leading to a non-modular system of uniquely fabricated components.

Rain-to-Sun Botanical Tower
A. Özel, J. Tullander, Y. Chang

Form and Structure Seminar ()
M. Kazmiruk, E. A. Gonzalez, F. Eidner, L. Riedel, G. Neubauer, V. Wagner, Prof. Dr.-Ing. J. Knippers

“Rain-to-Sun Botanical Tower” develops a coupled form-generation and optimization workflow for a park-based vertical garden that harvests rainwater and maximizes solar exposure. Stacked planting platforms address the inefficiency of ground-based beds, with rain and sun acting as primary geometric drivers. A form-found membrane canopy channels rainfall into a central reservoir, while platform orientation and spacing are tuned to improve solar access within a compact footprint. Structurally, a central steel mast provides the main load path and er****on datum, with a bracing network controlling wind response, torsion from asymmetric platforms, and force transfer between canopy anchors, platforms, and reservoir core. Design variants are evaluated through parametric comparison of water collection, solar gain, and structural performance. The workflow links climatic inputs → geometry generation → structural verification, producing a materially efficient tower integrating planting, water capture, and stability.

Zenith Lookout
T. Engers, J. Joergens, P. von Houwald

Form and Structure Seminar ()
M. Kazmiruk, E. A. Gonzalez, F. Eidner, L. Riedel, G. Neubauer, V. Wagner, Prof. Dr.-Ing. J. Knippers

The project explores a cantilevered lookout integrated with a mountainous site, drawing on timber bridge precedents that combine compression-based wood members with steel tension elements to minimize material use. Rather than prescribing a fixed geometry, a custom computational tool generates adaptive morphologies responsive to local topography. The workflow is divided into form-finding and structural evaluation. Form-finding begins by selecting a site and approximate radius, analyzing terrain curvature at candidate supports, extracting principal curvature vectors, and interpolating circular base geometries from contour lines. Vertical articulation is optimized through a physics-based bending-rod model in Kangaroo to achieve smooth curvature within pedestrian slope limits. Four truss schemes are then analyzed in Karamba3D, with cross-section and topology optimization via Opossum comparing displacement and material mass. The resulting 30 m-diameter circular lookout features twin timber arches, CLT deck panels, a dual-pitch truss on steel columns, and pretensioned steel cable stabilization.

DEREICI: Breath above the ruins
D. Filev, Y. Wang

Form and Structure Seminar ()
M. Kazmiruk, E. A. Gonzalez, F. Eidner, L. Riedel, G. Neubauer, V. Wagner, Prof. Dr.-Ing. J. Knippers

This research proposes the revitalization of the abandoned village of Dereiçi in Turkey’s Tur Abdin region through an open-air museum and visitor center that respects its multi-faith heritage. A computational membrane form-finding workflow guides new interventions within strict site constraints defined by ruined houses and existing roads. Using Grasshopper with the Galapagos evolutionary solver, structure placement is optimized within a perimeter to maximize shaded areas while maintaining spatial continuity. The structural behavior is evaluated in Karamba3D to verify membrane action and assess force distribution. The results suggest further refinement through slanted columns to balance bending forces and generate a continuous membrane canopy spanning multiple ruins. The approach links heritage-sensitive site parameters, evolutionary optimization, and structural analysis, offering a cohesive shading system that preserves historical fabric while enabling cultural reuse of the abandoned settlement.

MUTUAL ATTRACTION: A pavilion built on mutual support
Janna Fahmy, Yuxing Liu, Julia Richard

Form and Structure Seminar ()
M. Kazmiruk, E. A. Gonzalez, F. Eidner, L. Riedel, G. Neubauer, V. Wagner, Prof. Dr.-Ing. J. Knippers

This research develops a self-supporting reciprocal pavilion capable of carrying external point loads through geometric interdependence. Extending traditional rotational reciprocal systems, the design integrates modular seating within a double-curved torus-section geometry optimized for structural integrity and disassembly. The computational workflow begins with a base mesh generated in Grasshopper using boundary support curves and attraction points at seating heights. Form-finding in Kangaroo relaxes the mesh into a modified toroidal surface with controlled curvature. Mesh edges are then extracted to define reciprocal members, whose performance is evaluated in Karamba3D to assess stresses and displacements under live loads. Optimization in Opossum calibrates cross sections, cell density, and module area to balance material efficiency and stiffness. The result is a double-curved reciprocal system that supports human loads while demonstrating how algorithmic form-finding and structural optimization enable rapidly assembled, disassemblable modular architectures.