Individual stones
“As far as we know, this shell construction does not yet exist. What’s special is that every stone is individual,” explains Benjamin Spaeth, who supervised the project together with Michael Herrmann. “The shape is not created by the joint between the same stones, but rather by the juxtaposition of individual stones. In this way we can also produce a three-dimensional, double-curved form.” The construction method is particularly interesting for halls, stadiums or church buildings. The design was developed in a completely digital process. And the approach is also interesting from a sustainability perspective: “We do without steel and save a lot of mass and material,” explains Michael Herrmann. “That reduces CO2 emissions enormously.” Using the model, the two TH Lübeck professors and their students were able to learn a great deal about tolerances, precision and joints between the concrete blocks. The next step is to examine with industrial partners to what extent such a construction is actually suitable for implementation.
Kindergarten for Ukraine
In addition to the concrete construction, the Unity project also attracts the attention of trade fair visitors: the students of architecture and it Civil engineering have developed and implemented a model for a kindergarten. The model implemented at the trade fair was designed by architecture students Lenke Blendermann and Hanna Winkelmann. In particular, they had in mind the rapid reconstruction of Ukraine, where numerous childcare facilities were destroyed. The special thing: the building is designed in modular construction and can be expanded in almost any way. “This design is actually intended for residential accommodation,” explains Blendermann. “But the need for child care is great. That’s why we’ve further developed it accordingly.” Thanks to the modular design, it can be adapted very efficiently and cost-effectively to the conditions and needs on site. After the architectural design was complete, the civil engineers came in: “We dealt with issues such as costs, building materials and transport,” explains civil engineering student Laurin Röhrs. The project is a cooperation between a Ukrainian architectural firm and the Association of German Builders and various universities. On the part of the TH Lübeck, the students were supervised by professors Stephan Wehrig and Helmut Offermann.
Plans for NordBau 2024
A further development of the concept for 2024 was already announced at the opening of NordBau on September 6th: The TH Lübeck will work together with the Working group under construction (ARGE) Develop and organize the “BauCon Nord” conference. The focus is on topics relating to housing and the heating transition in Schleswig-Holstein and the neighboring northern European countries.
The TH Lübeck trade fair stand at NordBau 2023 can be visited until Sunday. Further information, tickets and directions are available on the NordBau website to find.