The Terra Habita Pavilion on the Campus Garching of the Technical University of Munich is a research pavilion that demonstrates how the combination of regenerative materials, wood, earth, and stone, in connection with digital fabrication opens up new possibilities for sustainable architecture. At its core is the ceiling element developed in the “Timber Earth Slab” (TES) research project. Following the principle of cross laminated timber, the solid timber slab is transformed into an open grid structure and filled with cast earth. Wood is used specifically where it is structurally required, while the mass of the earth provides fire and sound insulation as well as thermal storage capacity.

The TES elements are created using a parametric design method that arranges the materials based on structural calculations and automatically generates all the information required for robotic fabrication. During the production process, the wooden lamellas are prepared and cut, positioned robotically according to the digital model, glued, and mechanically secured with wooden nails. The grid is then filled with a flowable mixture of clay, sand, gravel, water, straw fibers, and additives, and subsequently dried.

The approach is tested spatially and structurally at a 1:1 scale in the pavilion, which measures 14,0 x 4,60 x 3,40 cubicmeters. Two U shaped walls, also made of wood and earth, support the TES ceilings, which span between the walls and four columns. A floor suspended from the elements reinforces the impression of a floating space and reveals the structural logic of the load bearing system.

The pavilion combines research, teaching, and built application. Students further developed the pavilion’s concept based on a previous design studio, prepared the detailed design and structural engineering, and realized the demonstrator together with the research project team as part of a project week. As a built demonstrator, Terra Habita provides important insights for the further development and scaling of the system toward applications in multi story timber construction. At the same time, the pavilion demonstrates what innovative building systems made from regenerative materials can look like and creates a new place for interaction between students and researchers on the Garching campus.

Credits:

TUM.wood 

Research, Planning- and Realisation
Janna Vollrath, M.Sc. (Professorship of Digital Fabrication)
Dominik Merk, M.Sc. (Chair of Timber Engineering and Building Construction)
Christoph Kurzer, M.Eng. (Chair of Timber Engineering and Building Construction)
Dr.-Ing. Tilmann Jarmer (Chair of Architectural Design and Construction )

Scientific Supervison
Prof. Dr. Kathrin Dörfler (Professorship of Digital Fabrication)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Stefan Winter (Chair of Timber Engineering and Building Construction)
Prof. Dr. Gerhard Fink (Chair of Timber Engineering and Building Construction)
Prof. Florian Nagler (Chair of Architectural Design and Construction )

Students
Malte Anselment, Joana Apostoli, Antonio Arduini, Rafaela Averbeck, Lara-Sophie Berger, Lorenz Berger Lukas Binder, Maximilian Boeck, Maja Bosch, Mayra Bruncken Apalie Burkhardt, Ermes Costa, Luisa Daschner, Viktor Ertelt, Micha Eßinger, Daliah Gartenmeier, Merle Geimer, Konstanze Habenicht, Jonas Hilberer, Milena Hoffmann, Aurelia Höfle, Fynn Ketteler, Lars Kolberg, Lennart Kremerskothen, Lukas Kunze, Judith Leonhard, Karl Lundstedt, Maximilian Mayer, Christoph Meinel, Anna Müller, Julian Mumesohn, Honghao Niu, Anna Plininger, Christian Rauch, Sarah Riedele, Timo Sawitzky, Simon Schlichenmaier, Mika Schmale, Paul Stosik, Paul Tienes, Christoph Untch, Jaap Wegner, Karim Yacoub, Minmin Zhao

Funding
TUM School of Engineering and Design
Gustav Polensky Stiftung

Partners
TUM - Zentralabteilung 4 - Immobilien, Lehrstuhl für Fördertechnik Materialfluss Logistik (fml), Materialprüfungsamt für das Bauwesen, Design Factory 1:1, UnternehmerTUM MakerSpace, TUM ProLehre Medienproduktion
ABB Robotics, ARS Starkholzplatten GmbH, bauart Konstruktions GmbH & Co. KG, Bauder, Beck Fastening GmbH, Egginger Naturbaustoffe GmbH, Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, Hilti Deutschland AG, Jens Baumeister / Lehm Baumeister, Kusser Granitwerke GmbH, Leipfinger-Bader Ziegelwerke, Levita Lehm, Oxara AG, regineering GmbH, Rotho Blaas GmbH, Sebastian Schels, Weihele Holz GmbH

Guests
Alexandre Dubor, Anja Kunic, Bettina Baggenstos, Erik Zanetti, Hannes Eichler, Helga Blocksdorf, Lenny Reinhard, Micha Müller, Thibault Demoulin, Tobias Schwinn

Video
TUM ProLehre Medienproduktion

Photos
Sebastian Schels