Materials & Processes

22 — 22 May 2025

TU Wien, Vienna, Austria

Organised by: TU Wien, Institute of Architectural Design

The vision for our program in the third year of LINA was to reflect on our journey as a member of the LINA platform, having connected through our activities with a group of amazing people – so-called LINA fellows – architects, designers and artist from across Europe.

LINA offered to us the possibility to establish a new research and teaching focus: a bioregional approach that understands architecture and design as integrative practices engaging holistically with the locally specific ecosystems of building production.

More than 300 people were part of the LINA projects at TU Wien. 200 ambitious students, 7 dedicated fellows, 5 TUW teachers, as well as local and international experts worked together on material experimentation, research and development.

It was our intent to reconnect to all people who have been part of the process so far, to reflect together on the future of our collaborations, and nurture the energy and connections between materials and people that have already been made.

The event should not only show the results of our collective work at TU Wien so far, but also the potential of the LINA Platform to learn and interact together as a community of agents for change.

Preparations

The process of preparing for the event included a series of preliminary talks with all fellows who had been involved in LINA x TUW projects in Year 1 and Year 2, as well as a group of fellows, who had been dealing with related topics as fellows collaborating with other LINA members, such as Atelier LUMA and Design Academy Eindhoven.

This shaped not only the formats and precise topics of the event itself, but resulted in two additional courses with TUW students:

Tracing Paper 1:1, a workshop based design studio, which dealt with the waste produced by the Faculty of Architecture and Planning at TU Wien, with the aim to raise awareness in our own direct environment.

Critical Materiality, a seminar with diploma students, with the aim to contextualize the work that has been produced in the first two years of LINA within architectural history and theory and therefore build the theoretical foundation for the public discussion at the event.

Programmes

Culture in Residency: Material Library

Charly Blödel, Estelle Jullian, Thomas Amann

Known for its prominence among Austrian lakes, 83% of Wörthersee's shores are closed off by private developments. One of the remaining plots with potential public access to the lake is the Vienna Boys' Choir campus located in Sekirn. The 8 hectare plot is used by the choir in the summers and remains unused for the rest of the year. Their ambition is to keep the plot for future generations of the choir as well as to open it up to the general public for all-year-round cultural activities. Its slowly deteriorating existing buildings and diverse landscape offer a case study for reuse strategies of local resources and material waste streams for its future development.

How can we live – and create – on a damaged planet? If, as the philosopher Baptiste Morizot describes, the ecological crisis is also a crisis of sensitivity, how can we feel, understand and weave new relationships with respect to the territory and the matter of the objects that constitute our own daily life and the more-than-human life that surrounds us? How can the architect take the role of the mediator and help foster these connections? Which tools, methodologies and (knowledge) collaborators do we need and which architectural possibilities spring from this framework?

The design studio, with focus on a 10-day hands-on workshop in Sekirn, will explore experimental regenerative design practices using locally-specific materials found on site and in the region of Wörthersee. It offers the possibility of opening a parenthesis for reflection on global questions on a local level, offering a polysemic vision of the territory where matter is the key element that creates a sensitive link between the different scales and actors.

We will map local material streams directly on the territory and in regional proximity to Sekirn to trace industrial and natural resources for our workshop. Throughout excursions to different sites such as local natural stone quarries and waste recycling facilities, we will collect the raw material for material testing and experimentations.

By use of building methods with soil and mineral waste, we will experiment with techniques such as rammed earth, hempcrete, and terrazzo. The material outcome of the workshop will be a series of samples that speculate on a local material palette and point towards concrete directions for further development of selected materials and their application on the campus. The design and material research of this workshop will be documented in the form of a library for local material recipes.

The course is part of 'Culture in Residency', a series of design studios by TU Wien that contribute to the ongoing development of the UNISONO campus: a long-term transformation of the Vienna Boys' Choir campus into a testing ground for interdisciplinary research, production and education on circular economic practices in the Alpe-Adria bioregion.

Students: Fanny Bruckbauer, Sophie Coqui, Valeriya Gridneva, Anton Ivanov, Ruth Köchl, Martin Kohlbauer, Roman Levoshka, Beverly Mori, Irina Mezheynikova, Nina Popic, Sara Rodiqi, Franziska Sorger, Emma Theis, Öykü Tok

The design studio is part of the European Architecture Platform LINA (co-funded by the European Union) and will be led by LINA fellows Charly Blödel and Estelle Jullian, together with Thomas Amann (TU Wien).

Culture in Residency: Adaptive Reuse

Prof. Tina Gregoric, Gordon Selbach, Jakob Travnik

Today's extractive material practices demand a paradigm shift in the resource consumption within the construction industry. Our built environment must now be regarded as a resource and strategies of adaptive reuse must finally be perceived as a viable architectural approach. Transitioning towards circular building practices commands 'new' values, characterised by the use of local, regenerative resources and material waste streams paired with as a circular understanding of material sourcing, processing, assembly and disassembly in the context of the territories they ultimately depend on.

The design studio will focus on the renovation of the 'Ferienheim', the largest building located on the Vienna Boys' Choir campus in Sekirn. Built in 1965, the building has since hosted the annual summer camp of the choir, offering infrastructure for rehearsals, performance, accomodation, hospitality and leisure activities. Due to its and lack of maintainance and sporadic use over past decades, the building is currently in urgent need of repair. On the occasion of this year's 525th anniversary of the choir's existence, the renovation process marks a turning point in the potential future role of the building as an all-year-round cultural venue, operating at the intersection between the needs of the choir as well as hosting educational and public cultural programmes.

Through a series of systematic research tasks – by analysing existing building components, researching adaptive reuse best practices and surveying regional material waste streams – the course will aim to propose holistic architectural, material and programmatic strategies for the future use of the 'Ferienheim'. All outputs will ultimately serve as a foundation for the actual renovation process in the near future.

Students: Meyrem Arslan, Teresa Ebner, Safak Ece, Hanspeter Gjoka, Karolin Hofbauer, Talis Klien, Viktoria Kurstak, Clarissa Liska, Johanna Mullins, Haneta Mujevic, Leonie Murero, Elsa Caroline Oswald, Lisa Penz, Polina Petrova, Marcel Plattner, Christian Regelmann, Johanna Richter, Tatjana Riedel, Lara Schnabl, Yosun Sisman, Laura Stammen, Christian Stelzer, Luisa Zwetkow

Biofabrique Vienna: Adaptive Reuse

Prof. Tina Gregoric, Gordon Selbach, Jakob Travnik

Biofabrique Vienna is a pilot project of the Vienna Business Agency and Atelier LUMA, a programme of LUMA Arles, in partnership with TU Wien. Based on its methodology of the bioregional approach; finding, connecting, implementing and sharing – the Biofabrique operates as a network as well as a knowledge and production platform that processes raw and repurposed materials which are tailored to each bioregion's resources and needs. Bioregional design practices give us a framework for asking useful questions: what resources are available and how can we use them in a way that makes local environmental and social systems stronger? By building alliances within Viennese industry, academia and creative professionals, Biofabrique Vienna aims to strengthen the bioregion itself.

The design studio will act as a principal partner of Biofabrique Vienna and help demonstrate its first public participatory test phase in 2024 as part of major cultural events like the Klima Biennale and the Vienna Design Week.

Today's extractive material practices demand a paradigm shift in the resource consumption within the construction industry. Our built environment must now be regarded as a resource and strategies of adaptive reuse and alternative material production processes perceived as a viable architectural approach. Transitioning towards circular building practices commands 'new' values, characterised by the use of local material waste streams paired with a circular understanding of material sourcing, processing, assembly and disassembly in the context of the territories they ultimately depend on.

"Adaptive Reuse" will focus on the prototypical development of 'Biofabrique Vienna' at the 'Nordwestbahnhalle', one of the largest buildings located on the 'Nordwestbahnhof Areal' in the 20th district of Vienna. Built in 1970's, the building has primarily served as a bus repair facility. After its suspension, it has been used for temporary programming by numerous community-oriented associations. Today, the area is one of the largest housing developments in Vienna, which includes the demolition of all existing buildings on site. The situation thus presents an opportunity to showcase the importance of preserving existing buildings and propose meaningful solutions for its further use as a bioregional knowledge and production platform.

Ranging from systematic research tasks – analysing existing building components, bioregional waste streams, adaptive reuse best practices – to 1:1 material prototypes, the course will aim to propose a holistic architectural, material and programmatic strategy for the future use of the 'Nordwestbahnhalle'. All outputs will ultimately contribute to the formulation of an operational model for a 'Biofabrique Vienna' in the future.

Students: Finn Blindow, Julia Cäsar, Jacques Ernzer, Charlotte Eybl, Anna Gramm, Eugen Halbhuber, Benjamin Kislich, Martin Kohlbauer, Karolína Kolencíková, Beyza Köroglu, Sara Kosanovic, Ana-Elisa Kresitschnig, Elisa Kreuzer, Roman Levoshka, Marlene Melkus, Isabella Mündle, Lea Notsch, Jeremias Pointner, Charly Schneider, Paul Sebesta, Johanna Syré, Julius Wolff

Biofabrique Vienna: Material Assemblies

Benedetta Pompili, Hannah Segerkrantz, Thomas Amann

Today's extractive material practices demand a paradigm shift in the resource consumption within the construction industry. Our built environment must now be regarded as a resource and strategies of adaptive reuse and alternative material production processes perceived as a viable architectural approach. Transitioning towards circular building practices commands 'new' values, characterised by the use of local material waste streams paired with a circular understanding of material sourcing, processing, assembly and disassembly in the context of the territories they ultimately depend on.

"Material Assemblies" focuses on material research and 1:1 experimentation, aiming to explore and propose an alternative material narrative linked to and embedded in the city of Vienna, its resources, know-how, history and identity.

Through identifying, mapping and collecting local resources, industrial and agricultural by-products and waste streams in and around Vienna, we aim to understand, test and analyse the physical properties and logistical implications of such raw materials, simultaneously reflecting on their value on a social, cultural and political level. With the help of industry, local and international experts employing various techniques and tools, we will experimentally develop recipes and samples, and produce a small-scale series of selected materials that would ultimately point out directions for concrete applications in architecture and design.

As in any truly experimental process, we will embrace uncertainty and openness to failure, understanding "Material Assemblies" as a collective maker-space, which is fostering exchange, agency and responsibility for everyone and everything involved.

Students: Gil Philipp Grassmann, Aaron Michel, Soraya Abdelmaksoud, Tamara Spechtenhauser, Johanna Schwarz, Lena Köhl, Savannah Mapalagama, Valentin Krieger, Benjamin Zeilner, Dina Unterfrauner, Jonas Mayr, Dalila Beglerovic, Emily Nausner, Iliana Dimitrova, Noelle Rützler, Anna Antoni, Elisabeth Pargfrieder, Sebastian Brantner, Katharina Ivkic, Miriam Semler

The design studio is part of the European Architecture Platform LINA (co-funded by the European Union) and will be led by LINA fellows Benedetta Pompili and Hannah Segerkrantz, together with Thomas Amann (TU Wien).

Materials & Processes: Tracing Paper 1:1

Irena Übler, Thomas Amann

"Materials & Processes: Tracing Paper 1:1" explores how the waste streams created at the Faculty of Architecture and Planning can be effectively integrated into circular systems.

As is widely known, the construction industry is responsible for approximately 40% of global CO₂ emissions. For several semesters, this reality has become increasingly present in architecture faculties, leading to a shift in teaching content and design exercises that focus more on topics like reuse, circular economy, and material development from various waste materials.

At the same time, our university – that is, all of us – is a significant producer and emitter of waste streams. Whether it's the trash cans overflowing with models at the end of the semester or the piles of shredded paper from internal office operations, our own ways of production contribute to the ongoing environmental challenges.

Together, we will "clean up our own backyward" and will, very directly and concretely and within our own scope of influence, develop proposals for improving current practices and transforming them into a circular system. After collecting the various types of paper waste and analyzing the related processes and logistical connections, we will familiarize ourselves hands-on with different methods and tools of paper processing. The goal is to create usable materials from these identified residues for reuse in model building and other architectural applications, turning waste into value.

Through this practical engagement, not only will new materials be created, but also a deeper awareness of responsible resource management will be fostered. We want to demonstrate that sustainable actions are not just a theoretical demand but a realizable practice that can be integrated directly into our academic daily life, helping us rethink our relationship with resources and waste.

The design studio is part of the program of the "European Architecture Platform LINA", which aims to connect established institutions with emerging practitioners from architecture, design, and art to collaborate on strategies to tackle the climate crisis.

Irena Übler, LINA Fellow 2025, is a product designer and material researcher with a particular focus on sustainable material cycles. Living and working in Portugal, she explores creative ways to reuse cork, plastic, ceramic, and paper waste through a variety of projects — always with the aim of unlocking new potentials from waste materials and sharing her knowledge in workshops.

The results of the design work will be displayed and presented at the "Materials & Processes" symposium at TU Wien in May.

Students: Klara Biernat, Sarah Falkenburger, Jakob Fritz Hilcken, Bettina Hofbauer, Teodora Jandric, Yara-Sophie Kehrer, Bianca Lintner, Clarissa Liska, Liudmyla Makeieva, Andrea Milanovic, Elsa Caroline Oswald, Carla Pirich, Anastasia Prozorovska, Isabella Schandl, Clara Schmiedehausen, Christian Stelzer, Kathrin Stockinger

Materials & Processes: Critical Materiality

Jade Apack, Adam Przywara, Thomas Amann

Architecture is undergoing a historic shift, shaped by both crisis and curiosity. The Climate Emergency demands a search for less harmful, polluting, and wasteful forms of architectural production. At the same time, a renewed interest in architectural materiality challenges decades of alienation imposed by the dominance of the Quadrivium Industrial Complex. In pursuit of alternative relationships with the environment, architects, designers and researchers are nurturing local supply chains and reviving traditional building practices.

This seminar seeks to explore how architects can position themselves within this evolving landscape of knowledge and practice. How can we intervene in the complex networks of material production, supply, and transformation? What agency do architects have in a system driven by economic and technological forces? How can architectural practice reflect the contemporary reassessment of the relationship between society and nature? To address these pressing questions, the seminar aims to develop material literacy—a critical understanding of the relationships between materials, processes, and our agency within them. It will examine contemporary scholarship on materials across the temporal spectrum of architecture, from resource extraction and material production to repair, demolition and landfilling. Simultaneously, it will foster an understanding of current approaches and methods for critically engaging with architectural materiality.

Participants will draw on a curated list of readings to formulate individual research questions. These inquiries will serve as the foundation for speculative drawings, mappings and collages, leading to models and hypotheses that reassess our relationship with materials, resources and the environment. By combining theoretical analysis with visual and conceptual experimentation, the seminar seeks to envision a future for the profession defined by a critical and careful engagement with socio-material processes in design and construction, as well as their far-reaching socio-environmental implications.

The seminar is part of the European Architecture Platform LINA program, which connects established cultural and scientific institutions with emerging practitioners in architecture, design and art to collaboratively develop strategies and concrete scenarios for addressing the climate crisis.

Jade Apack (FR) – Architect, artist and researcher, whose work explores the notion of transparency in territorial planning, formally reinvesting its norms of representation and administration.

Adam Przywara (University of Fribourg, CH) – Architectural historian and curator, investigating architectural knowledge and practices emerging in ruined environments of the past and present.

The seminar's outcomes will be presented and discussed at the Materials & Processes symposium at TU Wien in May.

Students: Finn Blindow, Sophie Coqui, Martin Kohlbauer, Karolína Kolencíková, Savannah Mapalagama, Marlene Melkus, Dina Unterfrauner, Luisa Zwetkow