INTEGRATION AND OPERATION OF HYDROACTIVE ENVELOPES IN VARYING FACADE, BUILDING, AND CLIMATE CONTEXTS
Hydroactive envelopes are an innovative facade system that combines a low material, energy, and CO₂ footprint with effective climate adaptation. The textile- and foil-based facade elements collect wind-driven rainwater, reducing urban runoff peaks and relieving stormwater infrastructure. The collected water can be used inside the building and, during hot periods, reintroduced into the textiles to provide evaporative cooling for the building and its surroundings.
This project aims to advance the hydroactive facade system developed within the Collaborative Research Centre 1244 (CRC 1244) “Adaptive Skins and Structures for the Built Environment of Tomorrow”, towards practical applicability. It focuses on developing economically feasible, retrofittable, and resource-efficient solutions for diverse facade, building, and climate contexts. This includes advancing the multilayer envelope, modular frame profiles, and fluid infrastructure, alongside passive and active adaptations to enhance effectiveness and user acceptance.
A central objective is to develop predictive, real-time control strategies for resource-efficient operation. Context-specific integration and operation strategies will be investigated, and their effectiveness at building and district levels will be assessed. With industry partners Sto and Schüco, durability, practical feasibility, and system performance will be evaluated through laboratory assessments and experimental validation at the Demonstrator High-Rise D1244.
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Dr. h.c. Oliver Sawodny
Institute for System Dynamics (ISYS), University of Stuttgart
RESEARCHER
Melanie Gschweng (ISYS)
PARTNERS
Institute for Technology and Resilience in Architecture (ITRA), Technical University of Darmstadt
Sto SE & Co. KGaA
Schüco International KG
FUNDING
German Research Foundation (DFG)
