Living Lab – Meeting Place for Regenerative Building Techniques „Denk- und Macherei“

Elective "Denk- und Macherei" | Summer Semester 2024

18 students from the study programs of Architecture, Interior Architecture and Climate Engineering explored bioregional and circular techniques to develop new uses for a former glass factory in the Upper Palatinate. A meeting place for regenerative construction is being created there: the ”Denk- und Macherei“.

The vast site offered numerous treasures to be explored during the course. To this end, the ”Denk- und Macherei“ hosted us for a workshop. Existing resources - both used and natural - were collected, mapped, analysed and used in practical experiments. Using only raw materials available within the premises, the first prototypes for sitting, eating and working in the newly developed communal kitchen were to be designed on site from 23 to 26 May 2024.

The result is a large number of exciting prototypes. The first of these were used around the campfire during the workshop itself and withstood their first rain shower. The direct experience and co-creation of the place was not only educational, but also decelerating and offered an extremely inspiring break from everyday university life.

Participating students:
Max Bell, Clara Bold , Christoph Geier, Jonas Hille, Johanna Knop, Julian Kopp, Judith Kramer, Isabella Obregon, Jannik Rieger, Lars Roth, Carolin Schwartz, Linda Sonnenberg, Eric Stoye, Johannes Tahedl, Simon Tellert, Hannes Vollmer, Tom Weber, Hannah Weiss

The workshop was directed by academic assistant Dipl.-Des. Melissa Acker, in collaboration with Peter Gmeiner, Stefanie Huthöfer, Sandra Jaramillo and Andrea Merle from the ”Denk- und Macherei“ collective.

In order to initially record and evaluate the numerous available resources, the students went on a building element hunt in teams at different locations. In material mapping, existing building materials were examined and mapped.

Together, the resources found to have the greatest potential were selected and thus served as the starting point for the design process.
The selected resources were used for the design - not on the computer, but in the carpentry. Joining principles and material combinations could be tested directly on a 1:1 scale. Stability, proportions and ergonomics could be checked, rejected and optimised.

Color mapping involved exploring the surrounding nature for possible sources of raw materials for the development of color pigments. A team of students tried its hand at producing various organic and inorganic pigments. Using linseed oil they pressed themselves, they were able to produce wood stains for the furniture prototypes from scratch and apply them straight away. Parallel to that, existing clay plaster was pigmented - until a few years ago, a clay building board company was based on the site and the majority of the premises are plastered with clay.

The findings and results of the workshop are to be further developed locally in various formats and with different stakeholders. The ”Denk- und Macherei“ acts as an interface between various educational institutions and the region.

In addition to generating and passing on knowledge, the overarching aim is also to network all those involved in the further development of the location in order to bring topics such as bioregionality and the circular economy (keyword: building turnaround) out of the academic context and into the population.