The interdisciplinary and research-oriented character of the ITECH program has been developed to provide students with the opportunity to take full benefit of the larger international network of interdisciplinary research and expertise available through the partner institutes, the university and its related external industry collaborators. The program has the unique advantage of being situated within the heartland of technological innovation in Germany. The ITECH program is aimed at furthering long-standing relationships with industry networks that the institutes have already established.
The Integrative Technologies & Architectural Design Research (ITECH) M.Sc. Program is coordinated by ICD (Institute for Computational Design and Construction) and ITKE (Institute of Building Structures and Structural Design) in collaboration with IBK2 (Institute of Building Structures).
ITECH Teaching Team
ICD - Institute for Computational Design and Construction
ICD provides expertise in advanced computational design processes and the integral use of computer-controlled manufacturing processes with a particular focus on robotic fabrication. Prof. Achim Menges, director of the ICD, is internationally renowned for his design work and research with visiting professorships at both Harvard University and the Architectural Association. He is author of numerous books and scientific papers and his design research and projects have received multiple international awards, been exhibited worldwide and form parts of several renowned museum collections. The ICD’s researchers have studied in world renowned schools of architecture and/or have worked for leading architectural practices around the globe.
ITKE - Institute of Building Structures and Structural Design
ITKE focuses on the development of building structures as an essential and form-giving aspect of architecture and considers how to extend the boundaries of engineering design and material science towards new and non-standard applications in the field of architecture. Prof. Jan Knippers, director of the ITKE, is the author of numerous books and publications in the fields of engineering, architecture and biomimetics, co-founded an international engineering firm and is collaborating with renowned architects from around the globe. The multidisciplinary team of ITKE research associates bring together competencies from a wide range of fields focused on advanced building technologies.
Department of Biobased Materials and Materials Cycles in Architecture (BioMat) at ITKE
The Department of Biobased Materials and Materials Cycles in Architecture (BioMat) ) is a new research group founded in 2016 in the ITKE (Institute for Structural Design and Design of the University of Stuttgart) – Faculty 1 Architecture and Urban Planning. BioMat has the goal to merge the fields of design, sustainable materials developments, biomimetics, spatial realization and smart systems in architecture. Teaching, research, materials development and fabrication as well as industrial projects are highly integrated.
One of our missions as architects and engineers at BioMat is to raise different sustainability aspects in architecture and to translate our ecological concerns in the form of newly developed sustainable smart materials and designed products in this respect. Function-oriented design methodologies, spatial configurations and bionic-derived structural forms, combined by deep material knowledge, digital fabrication and strong industrial cooperation form our main research strategies.
IBK2 - Institute of Building Technology, Construction and Design
IBK 2 stands for an approach towards sustainable design and the use of new materials and methods in construction. The integration of diverging aspects of technical, ecological, economical and aesthetic nature communicates the holistic design approach of the IBK2 team.
University of Stuttgart
Stuttgart University is recognized internationally for education and research in technology and garners significant research funds in a vast array of fields. The Faculty of Architecture consistently ranks among the top schools in Germany, and is supported by extensive research through both private industry and publicly funded projects. The University of Stuttgart is also renowned for creatively engaging the rigour and insights of engineering science in architectural design. High level of research exposure is reflected directly in the quality of the school’s faculty and curriculum.