HFT.Lab

With the HFT.Lab, the University of Applied Sciences is to become an innovation anchor for a climate-competent, resilient and networked society in the Stuttgart urban region.

By means of which constructional and structural measures can:

• communicate the expertise of the HFT to the city and the region
• present research results in an appealing way
• enable new forms of participation
• and reach a broad public?

In addition, the prototypes focus in particular on questions of building planning, the building envelope and new (digital) technologies.

The first floor area of Building 1 will be structurally upgraded and restructured into a contemporary open meeting, event and exhibition space. This also includes improved addressing, accessibility and opening of the main building to the city garden. 
Measures are being taken to communicate and present research results interactively in various (new) formats. The goal is to enter into direct exchange with the public via a "transparent research". Further measures are directed at the further development of communication and innovation methods as well as new functionality. The goal here is to enable transdisciplinary networking with society and our partners through cooperative use of the transfer area, as well as to create creative spaces for the implementation of innovation formats and end-user interactions through investments in the area of interactive media, modular furniture and reorganization of spatial sub-areas.

In the inner courtyard between Building 1 and Building 3, an experimental field is being created in which innovations in future-oriented planning and sustainable construction will be researched using temporary, real prototype experiments. Previous research results will be tested for their practical suitability by means of application-related measures. In the construction phase, research topics such as Building Information Modeling (BIM), new digital planning tools and methods will be applied in practical implementation. In the construction process, the aim is to apply construction and manufacturing methods that have so far only existed as prototypes or in theory, such as 3D devices, element designs and innovative materials that have not yet been in use. In operation, the prototypes as a "living lab" offer further space for investigations and user-specific questions on, for example, climatic comfort, flexibility and forms of use.