The thesis project "Embraced Wood" developed by ITECH graduates Pelin Asa, Christelle El Feghali, Christian Steixner is featured in Detail Magazine!
Congratulations to Pelin, Christelle and Christian!
See: Detail Magazine, Issue 4.2025
More information on the project can be found here: Embraced Wood
The reuse rate in timber construction remains alarmingly low. The Embraced Wood project at the University of Stuttgart has found a way to give old wooden beams new life.
Embraced Wood – From Old Timber to New Material
As the demand for timber as a building material grows, exploring alternative sourcing methods – such as reusing wood from demolished buildings – becomes increasingly important. Currently, reclaimed timber is primarily incinerated for energy, as making it reusable requires labour-intensive defect removal. The Embraced Wood research project has developed a method for reusing reclaimed timber “as is”. A novel clay treatment compensates for size variations and irregularities in old timber without additional processing. Natural fibre wrapping replaces glue binding, allowing embedded fasteners to remain in situ. Clay encapsulation also eliminates the need to remove paint by preventing toxic emissions.