A Sustainable Approach to Using Local Biomaterials

The project “Brewing Metabolisms – a Biofabricated Pavilion” by the Professorship of Architecture and Design at TUM explored the use of local material cycles from the Munich brewery region for bio-based construction methods. The goal is to build a pavilion on the TUM campus that demonstrates the potential of regional biomaterials at a 1:1 scale. Various renewable raw materials, such as hops and brewers’ spent grain, are incorporated into innovative material developments. In collaboration with the startup STREEV Studio and the TUM startup HopfON, new methods for producing sustainable building materials are being tested, including panels made from hops and experimental fermentation processes for the regenerative utilization of process waste. The project takes a holistic, metabolic approach to creating a regenerative environment that interlinks architecture, materials science, and biological processes. The concept was implemented in the summer semester of 2024 through a one-week workshop involving interdisciplinary student teams.

Innovative Fabrication with STREEV Studio and HopfON

A central component of the workshop was the collaboration with STREEV Studio, which introduced a new approach to wood processing using its innovative CNC milling machine, KFVR. In three rotating groups, the students developed different materials and components for the pavilion. The first group experimented with hops, lime, and clay to produce cladding panels. These were tested and refined based on their structural and aesthetic properties. The second group, led by Julia Ihls, focused on bio-based sheets made from brewers’ spent grain, agar-agar, and gelatin, testing various mix ratios to create diverse material qualities. The third group worked with Max and Kai Boll from STREEV on the wooden substructure of the pavilion. Thanks to the milling technique, complex interlocking joints could be produced, allowing the entire structure to be assembled without glue or screws. At the end of the week, one side of the pavilion was constructed and clad with the hop-based panels and sheets.

Student Team

Irina Baier
Lotte Becher
Franka Maria Bienstein
Alexej Busko
Niklas Dietrich
Hannah Sophia Essigkrug
Mary Mattar
Dawid Mazanek
Sewar Naddaf
Jeffry Nwabuodafi
Aseel Odeh
Louisa Schütz
Bastian Sippl
Mira Isabel Steinkirchner

Industry Partners

STREEV Studio
HopfON / onmatter

Project Leads

Prof. Niklas Fanelsa
Julia Ihls, M.A. Dipl. Des.
Marlene Stechl, M.A. M.Sc.