Our department carries out research into architecture and cities as structural, technological and artistic manifestations of society, characterised by history and culture. Engineering expertise is used to develop visions of the future for – and with – society by utilising design and planning methodologies and insights gained in the humanities. Building culture is thus not only the result of sustainable design but rather the requirement for the sustainability of our constructed environment in the future.
Latest news on the research
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“ZuHaus”: Living Lab Tests Neighbourhood Room in Munich-Haidhausen
Doctoral research project by Clemens Hoyer investigates the potential for redensifying parking space in dense urban neighbourhoods
As part of a living lab, a temporary communal space currently occupies a site in Munich-Haidhausen previously used for parking. The “ZuHaus” is part of the doctoral research of Clemens Hoyer at the Institute of Design and Building Construction (Prof. Felix Waechter) at TU Darmstadt, and can be visited and used on site until 31 July 2026.
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Picture: FC St. Pauli![]()
Picture: FC St. PauliReSource Hamburg
Institute for Urban Development Researches Sustainable Water Management Using FC St. Pauli's Football Stadium as a Case Study
The Institute for Urban Development at the Department of Architecture, TU Darmstadt, is leading the research project “Arenas in Climate Change,” which has been investigating sustainable water cycles at FC St. Pauli's Millerntor-Stadion since June 2026. Funded by the German Federal Environmental Foundation (Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt, DBU), the project runs until May 2028.
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Picture: DDU![]()
Picture: DDULost Architecture
Norwina Wölfel's dissertation explores the potential of Virtual Reality for conveying buildings that no longer exist
Norwina Wölfel has successfully defended her dissertation ”Lost Architecture – Potentials and Challenges in Communicating Architectural Reconstructions through Virtual Reality“ at the Institute of Digital Design. The Department of Architecture warmly congratulates her on this achievement.
