Summer 2025

BUILDING BIOSPHERIC

E2 Design Studio SS 2025

Building Biospheric reimagines architecture as a living organishm - a structure that breathes, grows, and sustains life. The task is to design a self-sustaining, biospheric architectural complex that provide shelter for both humans and the ecosystems they coexist with. This will involve creating systems that are entirely independent of traditional infrastructure, such as energy grids, centralized waste treatment or industrial food production. The focus is on achieving complete circularity, where material and energy flows are fully integrated and self- sustaining. You will receive a detailed brief of the systems before being tasked with integrating them into an existing building that can no longer fulfill its intended function. The goal is to design an architectural complex that is a closed- loop, efficient and permeable system, which not only supports human needs but also nurtures the surrounding environment, fostering a deep interdependence between architecture and nature.

Working in groups, you will creatively repurpose contemporary churches in Innsbruck, adapting and expanding them into thriving, self-sustaining ecosystems. The studio will guide you to develop design solutions that address environmental, social and technical challenges on an architectural scale.

Remote | Extreme

M2 Design Studio SS 2025

Research Stations in Antarctica, Underwater, and on the Moon

An ocean of air envelops our home planet. Only a few kilometers thick, it provides the essential conditions for human habitation across the globe.

Yet, there are places on Earth with extreme environmental conditions, similar to those found in space. At Russia’s Vostok Station in Antarctica, temperatures as low as -90°C have been recorded—comparable to the average surface temperature at the equatorial regions of Mars. Antarctica is the continent on Earth that, due to its location and the thinner atmosphere at the poles, is both spatially and environmentally the closest terrestrial equivalent to space.

Buckminster Fuller introduced the concept of our planet as a spaceship, traveling through the cosmos. As astronauts aboard this spaceship, we are also its caretakers. For now, Earth remains the only known place in the universe capable of sustaining human life. With his holistic approach, Fuller described the interconnectedness of all things—ecosystems, self-sustaining life cycles, and the relationships between living and non-living matter on this planet. Engaging with these topics in times of severe climate change and the Anthropocene is vital for the survival of life on Earth.

This studio invites you to design futuristic outposts and immerse yourselves in the lives and missions of people in uncharted territories.

You may choose from one of the following three challenges:

Design of a habitable underwater station

Design of a research station in Antarctica

Design of a habitat at the Moon’s south pole as part of an initial lunar base

For all three assignments, factors such as extreme environmental conditions and the careful management of available resources must be considered and integrated as key design parameters.

3F 2.0: FUNGI FOCUSED FABRICATION

 SE Seminar SS 2025

In this seminar we will experiment with growing, living, biodegradable materials, specifically focusing on fungal MYCELIUM. This architectural design seminar fosters innovative approaches to sustainable architecture using fungal mycelium composites, combining scientific research with creative design. Students will gain hands-on experience in cultivating and testing mycelium-composites, translating their findings into practical design applications, and participating in the collaborative research of the group. Through interdisciplinary learning and collaboration, lab sessions and workshops, students will be prepared to contribute to sustainable design practices. The studio will focus on scaled-up production of prototypes using a pre-inoculated mycelium material. 

It is a blend of theoretical knowledge and hands-on experiences, aiming to prepare students for the new paradigms of sustainable architectural practices.

This course is an integral part of the ongoing MUSE research project, dedicated to developing a comprehensive catalogue of applications for mycelium-based composites, and ultimately redefining the possibilities of eco-friendly architectural innovation.