BASIC RESEARCH 2.0

BASIC RESEARCH 2.0

NETWORKING & SCIENCE TO PUBLIC

BASIC RESEARCH 2.0

NETWORKING & SCIENCE TO PUBLIC

An exhibition at the intersection of architecture, material research, and atmospheric perception by the Institute of Architecture and Media (IAM) – TU Graz.

An exhibition at the intersection of architecture, material research, and atmospheric perception by the Institute of Architecture and Media (IAM) – Graz University of Technology.

Vernissage / Opening: 12.05.2026, 19:30 Uhr / 7:30 pm

Ausstellung / Exhibition: 13.05.-28.09.2026, Mi-Mo 13.00-17.30 Uhr / Wed-Mon 1:00-5:30 pm

HINWEIS: Aufgrund der Schließzeit des MUWA (19.09.2026-03.10.2026) ist die Ausstellung BASIC RESEARCH 2.0 bis zum Ausstellungsende am 28.09.2026 nach telefonischer Voranmeldung +43 316 811599 möglich! PLEASE NOTE: As the MUWA will be closed (19 September- 3 October 2026), the BASIC RESEARCH 2.0 exhibition can be visited until it closes on 28 September 2026, subject to prior booking by telephone +43 316 811599 !

The exhibition BASIC RESEARCH 2.0 presents experimental works by the ShapeLab research group of the Institute of Architecture and Media (IAM) on the upper floor of the MUWA, developed from 2020 to 2028 under the direction of Assoc. Prof. Milena Stavrić as part of the FWF-SFB project Advanced Computational Design (2020-2028).

The exhibition focuses on current research into material-based and energy-efficient strategies for architecture. Evaporation-based cooling systems are shown, which use the natural principle of evaporation to temper rooms without conventional, energy-intensive air conditioning. This is complemented by a newly developed layered sewing system for ceramic 3D printing, which mechanically connects and stabilizes individual print layers along the tool paths, thereby improving the structural performance of additively manufactured components. Another focus is on novel ceramic materials from the Neusiedler See region, whose local mineral resources are being developed for digital manufacturing processes. Porosity, capillary water conduction, and regional material cycles are understood as design and technical potentials. The works show how digital fabrication and sustainable material research open up new perspectives for resource-efficient architecture.

IAM Research Group – ShapeLab: Kristijan Ristoski, Lukas Gosch, Britta Nader, Julian Jauk, Hana Vašatko, Cornelia Ott, Renske Blok and Vladislav Tadić

Institute Director: Urs Hirschberg, Univ.-Prof. Dipl.-Arch. Dr.sc.ETH

Project Leader: Milena Stavrić, Assoc.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn.

Scroll down for English version

Kristijan Ristoski Cooling with 3D-printed clay minimal surfaces

This research project investigates how spaces and cities can be cooled with very little energy. For this purpose, special structures made of clay were produced with a 3D printer and then fired. This creates a solid, porous ceramic with a complex internal geometry.

The cooling principle is simple: water is guided over the ceramic object and moistens its surface. When warm air flows through the moist structure, part of the water evaporates. Heat is extracted from the air for this evaporation. The air becomes cooler as a result. This principle is also known from everyday life – for example, when a wet cloth cools in the wind.

The shape of the ceramic is particularly important. The structures shown have many openings and a large surface area. This ensures that as much air as possible comes into contact with the moist surface. Various geometric shapes were tested in the experiments. The best variant was able to cool the air by 7 °C – with very low power consumption of approximately 9 watts.

The project combines old principles of evaporative cooling with new digital manufacturing processes. The aim is to further develop sustainable and low-energy cooling for architecture and public spaces.

Lukas Gosch Clay bears weight when sewn together. Clay as a building material of the future: 3D printing with thread-reinforced clay

Clay and earth are among the oldest building materials in the world and are experiencing a renaissance today through digital manufacturing. Compared to concrete, which accounts for almost 8 percent of global CO2 emissions, clay and earth are renewable, globally available, completely recyclable, and non-toxic. At the Institute of Architecture and Media (IAM) at Graz University of Technology, the FWF research project "Materially and Structurally informed Materials" investigates how these traditional materials can be transferred into contemporary architecture through 3D printing.

The central problem with clay is its mechanical asymmetry: it is extremely resistant to compression but fails under tensile and shear forces. This is precisely where the developed patent comes in. By deliberately introducing a basalt or hemp thread during the printing process, both types of forces are significantly strengthened. The result is components that are more stable, thinner, lighter, and capable of supporting larger overhangs than unreinforced comparative samples.

The thread guidance is controlled via an extended G-code, the standardized machine code for 3D printers. This allows the density and depth of the stitching to be precisely controlled across the entire wall or building cross-section. The machine knows the exact penetration positions of already printed layers and uses this to generate optimized stitching patterns that locally dissipate forces and avoid weak points through double stitches.

The performance of the method is quantified in cooperation with the Laboratory for Structural Engineering at TU Graz using 3-point bending tests, in which tensile and shear forces on printed samples are directly measured. Conventionally printed samples, mechanically stitched samples, and thread-reinforced samples are compared, each on fired clay and on Adobe (unfired clay).

The long-term vision combines this approach with the finite element method: load simulations of entire components are directly incorporated into the calculation of print paths and stitching patterns. The resulting G-code is standardized and usable for printers of any size, allowing load-optimized clay components to be industrially manufactured in the future.

Britta Nader 3D printing with lake sediment - Building with material from Neusiedler See How could we build more sustainably in the future?

This research project around Neusiedler See addresses this question.

It investigates whether lake sediment, i.e., the sludge that accumulates at the bottom of Neusiedler See and is pumped out annually in several thousand cubic meters as part of water management, can be used as a natural building material for 3D printing. For this purpose, the material is collected, analyzed, and processed into a printable mass. Then, new shapes and components are created layer by layer with a large-format 3D printer.

The research combines modern technology with one of humanity's oldest building materials: clay or earth. While in the past, construction was done by hand, today digital manufacturing methods take over part of this process. This creates a connection between traditional knowledge and innovative technology.

In addition to the printing process, the chemical and mineralogical composition of the material, as well as its behavior during processing, are investigated. Through natural additives, such as reed fibers as natural reinforcement within the material, the already very good material properties are to be further improved and the drying behavior more controlled. After the drying process, it is investigated how stable and resistant the printed elements are. Properties such as compressive strength, water absorption, and the freeze-thaw behavior of the material play an important role.

However, the focus is above all on the idea of responsible use of resources. The sediment of the...