Printed Habitats
Facades as Ecosystems for Urban Biodiversity
This exhibition shows how nature can be reintegrated into cities through digital technologies and 3D printing.In collaboration with the Chair of Terrestrial Ecology, researchers at the Professorship of Digital Fabrication explore how digital design and robotics can be used to create habitats integrated into building facades for various species. By translating ecological principles into design parameters, these habitats can be generated in an automated way. Through 3D printing, the digital models take physical form as customized ceramic façade tiles that function as nesting modules and integrated directly into building envelopes.
As part of the research-based design studio “Printed Habitat: Integrating Wildlife into Urban Facades” in the summer semester of 2025, students explored how this approach could be applied in the city of Ingolstadt. They developed renovation concepts for a range of buildings designed not only for humans but also for urban species. Among several urban case studies, particular focus was on the historic water tower in Ingolstadt, for which students created 3D-printed ceramic façade prototypes combining ecological, climatic, and architectural functions, within that enabling a new, biodiversity-supporting approach to sustainable building renovation.
Research:
Professorship of Digital Fabrication
Julia Larikova, M.A.
Kathrin Dörfler, Prof. Dr.
Chair of Terrestrial Ecology
Fabio Sweet, Dr.
Wolfgang Weisser, Prof. Dr.
Exhibition curation:
Ilay Altinelli, Michelle Mattes, Anne Schlumbohm
Exhibited as part of:
Future Festival Ingolstadt
Exhibition, 13 November 2025 – 17 December 2025
Opening on Thursday, 13 November 2025, 12.15 pm
Georgianum, Ingolstadt
Partner Institutions:
Technical University of Munich
City of Ingolstadt
Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt
Industry partners:
Tonality GmbH (Ceramic Façade Systems)
Industry support:
Zschimmer & Schwarz Chemie GmbH
Georg & Schneider GmbH & Co. KG
Funding:
Foundation for Conservation and Technology (Stiftung Artenschutz und Technik)
Students:
Sofia Alt Motta, Ilay Altinelli, Ameli Dammann, Sofia Esperanza Figueroa Araneda, Tuvanna Gül, Marie Krudl, Lukas Litterst, Michelle Mattes, Cederik Mulkers, Sacha Rahem, Ambroise Salles, Anne Schlumbohm, Alissa Schulteß, Giulia Stallwanger, Leoni Tomečko, Yaxi Wang, Yuejiao Xie