Ulrich Knaack

Additive manufacturing (AM) has opened new possibilities in many disciplines. Complex geometries can now be created from a variety of materials and material compositions that were previously unimaginable. As a result, there is also the potential for customization and personalization for each user. The present paper and the related research provide...

Unlike other materials, additive manufactured ceramics are not unre-strictedly suited for a digitally-driven in-situ production of buildings. The crucial necessity of a subsequent firing process after shaping limits their size to prevent distortion and as well as to enable a later shipping to the construction site. Also, common shaping processes, e...

The brainwave of spray printing glass (SPG) emerged in September 2021 and has become a feasible way of applicating glass in thin layers in June 2022. The whole idea started from a sustainable motive: Can we use less material and less energy for glass elements? Based on the theoretical background of repairing old diesel engines, physical tries were...

This chapter presents six research projects conducted in collaboration with academic and industrial partners at TU Darmstadt, investigating the use of Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) in Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC). The case studies demonstrate the versatility of WAAM applications, including function integration, mass cu...

The European building stock demands urgent renovation due to the age of the buildings, their expected lifetime, and their excessive energy consumption, which accounts for more than a third of the EU’s total emissions. However, the complexities involved, such as time, costs, and structural modifications, often discourage clients, tenants, and occupa...

The application of façade products integrating solar cooling technologies tends to be one of the promising options to be considered for challenges related to the increase in global demand for cooling in the built environment. Accordingly, the technological innovation of such products represent an essential task to be taken into account for meeting...

The present study investigates the loadbearing capacity of additive man- ufactured components composed of glass. The main objective of this research is to assess the substance-to-substance bond between the additive manufactured glass and a flat glass plate, with the aim of generating new connections and constructions for facades. Compared to adhesi...

Residential buildings in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) contribute to nearly half of the overall electricity consumption in the building stock, highlighting their significant role in energy consumption. While an upgraded energy code has been established and enforced for new buildings, existing buildings continue to operate at the same level of e...

People in cities are constantly exposed to complex combinations of sounds, some originating from nature along with some created by human activities like traffic noise, sounds of industrial machinery, or music. This research aimed to study how the acoustic environment of a university campus is perceived by people. The procedures for soundscape data...

Under urgent sustainability targets, the building industry craves for renewable and recyclable biomaterials as cellulose is a fiber; Lignin is a plant-derived low-cost polymer with remarkable properties, yet its valorization is in its infancy. Recent studies have shown potentials to combine cellulose and lignin into a renewable bio-based material f...

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The main bottleneck during the manufacture of complex geometry thin-walled GFRC structures is the time taken to make the timber or CNC machined moulds for each panel. Complex geometries are comprised of many unique panel forms and the extensive time and high costs of their manufacture often prevents their architectural intent from being fully reali...

The range of applications for the comparatively old building material glass has not yet been exhausted. The use of new methods and technologies in research – such as artificial intelligence and additive manufacturing – allows the potential of glass to be exploited increasingly and the realization of innovative applications, such as vacuum insulatin...

Façades cover a significant amount of surfaces in cities and are in constant interaction with the acoustic environment. Noise pollution is one of the most concerning burdens for public health and wellbeing; however, façade acoustic performance is generally not considered in outdoor spaces, in contrast to indoor spaces. This study presents a systema...

Adaptive façades are multifunctional systems that are able to change their functions, features, or behaviour over time in response to changing boundary conditions or performance requirements. As one of the significant developments in the façade industry over the last decade, the adaptive façade offers an intelligent solution that can decrease energ...

The global attention to solar cooling systems has increased during the last years as a result of the expected growth in the world cooling demand. Such systems encompass the use of renewable energy as the main driver for mitigating indoor temperatures. Currently, some of these technologies are mature enough for their commercial application in buildi...

Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) is a welding process used to build up three-dimensional structures in steel. Like other Additive Manufacturing technologies, it allows for geometrically-complex structures to be fabricated which are otherwise unfeasible to manufacture using traditional methods. This research paper presents an integrated design...

Additive manufacturing techniques, which have been constantly evolving over the past 30 years, have also reached the construction sector, which is often slow in response to innovations. Technologies for the creation of 3D-printed concrete- or steel-structures are experiencing a market launch through the creation of the first printed buildings and b...

Multi-Material Additive Manufacturing (MMAM) is an emerging manufacturing approach that is gaining interest in architecture and construction as an expansion of Additive Manufacturing. Hereby, different materials or material properties are combined in a single additive process in order to create objects that are composed of multiple materials. Ultim...

According to the UNHCR, in 2019 there were 70.8 million refugees worldwide. Due to war, catastrophes, and emergency situations a great demand for temporary accommodation has arisen within the last couple of years. The main requirements for these shelters are protection for the inhabitants, easy transportability, and quick construction. In addition,...

The building skin has evolved enormously over the past decades. The energy performance and environmental quality of both the interior and exterior of buildings are primarily determined by the building envelope. The façade has experienced a change in its role as an adaptive climate control system that leverages the synergies between form, material,...

Introduction: To evaluate different façade and conditioning concepts in an early stage, realistic and holistic building inputs in simulation programs are necessary. The demand values need to be estimated, the comfort for the building users should be simulated and refurbishment measures can be planned. Objective: An exact planning is usually to...

Within the Master’s course “Civil Engineering” at TU Darmstadt, a project has to be carried out. In the winter term 2018/2019 this was the design and fabrication of a bridge spanning 6 m and made entirely from paper. Students had to find bridge types suitable for the use of paper, develop and optimise cross sections and bracing systems and furtherm...

In millimeterdicken Linien wird Schicht für Schicht frischer Ton auf ein Gipsbett aufgebracht. So entsteht mittels 3D‐Drucktechnologie ein individueller Tonziegel, ein Unikat, der nicht den Vorgaben des Strangpressverfahrens unterliegt. Mittels Additive Manufactoring (AM) sind nicht nur Kunststoff oder Metall als Druckmaterial einsetzbar, sondern a...

3D printing or additive manufacturing (AM) is now becoming a common technology in industry. The research activities in this area are constantly increasing, because with the high level of automation and the possibility to produce individual and complex structures, the advantages of additive manufacturing are promising. Most materials used in the con...

Für die Additive Fertigung im Stahlbau wird derzeit u. a. das Auftragsschweißen mit Schutzgas eingesetzt. Man spricht dabei vom Wire and Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM). Im Bereich des Konstruktiven Ingenieurbaus an der TU Darmstadt wurde eine kleine Fußgängerbrücke in Schalenform entworfen und mit einem Schweißroboter über ein Gewässer vor Ort h...

This research examines the technical feasibility of façades as cyber-physical systems, which can revolutionize former hierarchical and closed automation concepts of mechatronics through their cooperation of decentralized entities. While such systems are already employed in many application fields to increase the flexibility and performance of autom...

The study examines the existing technical basis in building practice for the application of cyber-physical systems on the façade. The associated intelligent cooperation of automated adaptive façade functions, inspired by intelligent technical systems in industry 4.0, offers a potential for the overall building performance. By the type and scope of...

The environmental boundary conditions and the demand for comfort change constantly during the use of a building. By dynamically balancing changing conditions and requirements, adaptive façades contribute to the energy efficiency of buildings. The façade fulfils a multitude of functions that are interdependent and relate to environmental conditions...

In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), residential buildings' energy consumption accounts for almost 50% of the building stock electricity consumption. The KSA's economy relies heavily on fossil fuel sources, namely oil reservoirs, whose depletion will negatively affect the future development of the country. The total electricity consumption is grow...

In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), residential buildings' energy consumption accounts for almost 50% of the building stock electricity consumption. The KSA's economy relies heavily on fossil fuel sources, namely oil reservoirs, whose depletion will negatively affect the future development of the country. The total electricity consumption is grow...

This project presents novel research in structural design and analysis of an ultra-transparent pedestrian bridge made exclusively of glass sheets in a double layer, funicular, compression-only configuration. The funicular form of the bridge maximizes its structural performance and minimizes the use of materials and resources. The structural form of...

Increasing cooling demands in the built environment call for innovative technical solutions and systems for application in buildings. Cooling loads represent an important share of the total energy consumption in warm climates, especially in commercial and office buildings. Moreover, mechanical systems will still be needed in most cases to cope with...

Many offices have been renovated to improve building performance. However, the user’s perception after renovation has not been evaluated. This paper presents user satisfaction with indoor environmental quality in façade renovated offices in the Netherlands. The study explored the correlation between facade renovation strategies and indoor climate o...

The glazed envelopes on buildings play a major role in operational energy consumption as they define the boundary conditions between climate and thermal comfort. Such a façade is viewed as an uncontrolled load that sets the operational performance requirements for artificial lighting and air-cooling mechanical systems. This is in contrast to nature...

Eine Reise im „Reich der Mitte“ von der Perspektive der Fachgebiete Statik, Fassadentechnik und Stahlbau der Technischen Universität Darmstadt. In der Landeshauptstadt Peking konnten neben dem Besuch von kulturellen Sehenswürdigkeiten wie der verbotenen Stadt, sich im Bau befindende Hochhausprojekte hautnah erkundet werden. Ein Höhepunkt war die Be...

Zusammenfassung Im Rahmen eines Projektes für Master-Studierende des Bauingenieurwesens an der TU Darmstadt wurde im Wintersemester 2018/2019 eine sechs Metern weit spannende Brücke entworfen, geplant und gebaut. Die Studierenden mussten hierzu einen Brückentypus finden, der für das Bauen mit Papier geeignet ist, Querschnitt und Aussteifung entwick...

A book about a university docent and one of his courses – why would you do that? And what is the academic impact? The question of impact, especially as it relates to the rapidly developing culture of publications in scientific journals, should be the topic of a separate discussion. With all of the related advantages and disadvantages it could fill...

Personal control is one of the influential factors for user satisfaction and environmental comfort due to its physical and psychological impacts. This paper aims to identify the relationship between the degree of personal control over indoor environmental conditions and user satisfaction with thermal and visual comfort. Trying to answer the questio...

Cooling demands in buildings have drastically increased in recent decades and this trend is set to continue into the near future, due to increasing standards of living and global climate change, among the most relevant factors. Besides energy consumption, the use of re-frigerants in common vapour compression cooling technologies is a source of conc...

Lucerne University of Applied Science and Arts, the European Façade Network and the European research network COST Action TU1403 “Adaptive Facades Network” have joined forces in the organisation of the FAÇADE 2018 – Adaptive! Conference. This international scientific conference - held on November 26-27, 2018 at the culture and convention centre Luc...

Booklet 3.3 “Dissemination, Future Research and Education – Adaptive Facade Network” documents the interdisciplinary, horizontal and vertical networking and communication between the different stakeholders of the COST-Action organised through Short Term Scientific Missions (STSM), Training Schools and support sessions for Early Stage Researchers (E...

The integration of decentralised building services into façade components presents advantages from functional and constructional standpoints. However, this integrated approach has not been massively implemented, having only stand-alone buildings and façade concepts as examples.This chapter delves into the requirements for integration within the faç...

Solar energy has been actively promoted as a clean energy source for a long time; however, solar technologies have not been widely used in the built environment, mostly limiting their operation to industrial and macroscale applications. Along with commercially available products such as building integrated PV panels (BIPV) or building integrated so...

Small-scale systems and integrated concepts are currently being explored by researchers to promote widespread application of solar cooling technologies in buildings. Chapter 7 presented a qualitative evaluation of these technologies in terms of their potential for façade integration. Moreover, this chapter expands the assessment of application poss...

Increasing cooling demands in buildings call for innovative environmentally friendly systems to cope with remaining loads after the application of passive design strategies. Solar cooling technologies present interesting assets, but their application in the built environment remains greatly limited. Hence, this chapter seeks to assess their potenti...

Solar cooling systems have gained increased attention these last years, for their potential to lower indoor temperatures using renewable energy. However, architectural integration of these systems in buildings has not been fully explored. Current developments such as small scale solar driven heat pumps and solar cooling kits commercially available...

Cooling demands of commercial buildings present a relevant challenge for a sustainable future. They account for over half of the overall energy needs for the operation of an average office building in warm climates, and this situation is expected to become more pressing due to increasing temperatures in cities worldwide. To tackle this issue, it is...

One of the geometrical restrictions associated with printed paste materials such as concrete, is that material must be self-supporting during printing. In this research paper a new methodology for 3D Printing Concrete onto a temporary freeform surface is presented. This is achieved by setting up a workflow for combining a Flexible Mould developed a...

This paper deals with a feasibility study of honeycomb‐paperboard glass composite beams for use in construction and façade construction. Based on a literature review of sandwich constructions, a basic concept for paper‐glass composite girders is presented. They are the first experimental and numerical investigations to confirm the potential for the...

Cooling demands of commercial buildings present a relevant challenge for a sustainable future. They account for over half of the overall energy needs for the operation of an average office building in warm climates, and this situation is expected to become more pressing due to increasing temperatures in cities worldwide. To tackle this issue, it is...

Održiva i otporna građena sredina je složen sistem čije se značenje kontinualno razvija. Cilj ove publikacije je da problemu održivosti i otpornosti pristupi kroz sistematsko istraživanje različitih segmenata i razmera izgrađenog okruženja, odnosno da predstavljanjem preglednih radova (poglavlja), među kojima je uspostavljena odgovarajuća funkciona...

Current society needs to face challenging environment and energy efficiency targets and therefore the development of efficient facade systems is essential. Innovative concepts such as Adaptive Building Facades might play a role in the near future, as they could optimize the performance of the building by their dynamic behaviour. For their successfu...

For the built environment and for engineers, glass is an indispensable material with unique properties. Recent developments have shown that there is a potential market for additive manufacturing technology in the building industry, based on the production with a relatively small amount of repetitions and the tendency of applying technological innov...

The academic project “Twister” was set-up with the aim to generate a spatial design, which is inspired by fascinating structures from nature and at the same time based on traceable geometric principles and rules. Moreover, the challenge was not only to generate a complex design, but also to build it in scale 1:1.

The challenges to which contemporary building design needs to respond grow steadily. They originate from the influence of changing environmental conditions on buildings, as well as from the need to reduce the impact of buildings on the environment. The increasing complexity requires the continual revision of design principles and their har- monisat...

Buildings are characterised as some of the greatest consumers and pollutants of the planet. However, the genesis of environmental design, in the context of its modern meaning, as shown in this paper, is not so much based on initial requests to reduce the negative pressure on the environment, but more on the tendency to ensure the continuity of the...

Small-scale systems and integrated concepts are currently being explored to promote the widespread application of solar cooling technologies in buildings. This article seeks to expand application possibilities by exploring the feasibility of solar cooling integrated façades, as decentralized self-sufficient cooling modules on different warm regions...

Currently, several research projects investigate Additive Manufacturing (AM) technology as a possible construction method for future buildings. AM methods have some advantages over other production processes, such as great freedom of form, shape complexity, scale, and material use. These characteristics are relevant for façade applications, which d...

The facade is the building's interface with its environment. It is here that building physics parameters such as heat, moisture, sound and light, interact with the building. All these influences need to be controlled by the building envelope in order to ensure the comfort of the user and the functional performance of the architecture. This introduc...

Glass is an indispensable material in the building industry. The combination of transparency, strength and durability makes it to an unparalleled and desirable material. The technology additive manufacturing (AM) has a potential in the building industry, based on a relatively small amount of repetitions of particular building components and the ten...

The high and increasing requirements concerning energy consumption and the interior comfort of buildings result in a demand for more efficient façade constructions. In its role as a mediator between the exterior and interior of a building, the façade takes on a multitude of functions with effect on the building’s performance. Intelligent façades of...

Additive manufacturing (AM) technology is currently being investigated as possible construction method for future buildings. AM methods have advantages over other production processes, such as great freedom of form, shape complexity, scale and material use. Because the freedom in geometric complexity applies also to the inner part of the products m...

Based on the experiences of efnMOBILE 1.0 the hands-on student workshop activities and exhibitions took place in different evironments and locations encouraging new technologies and methodologies. Like efnMOBILE 1.0 the new workshop series efnMOBILE 2.0 provides the European Facade Network (efn), its conferences and the connected professional commu...

The integration of decentralised building services into façade components presents advantages from functional and constructional standpoints. However, this integrated approach has not been massively implemented, having only stand-alone buildings and façade concepts as examples. This paper seeks to identify the main perceived problems at design, pro...

This paper seeks to present a panorama of cooling related research in office buildings, categorising reported research experiences from the past 25 years in order to identify knowledge gaps and define current paths and trends for further exploration. The general goal behind this research is to support the design of sustainable office buildings in w...

Solar cooling systems have gained increased attention these last years, for its potential to lower indoor temperatures using renewable energy. However, architectural integration of these systems in buildings has not been fully explored. Current developments such as small scale solar driven heat pumps and solar cooling kits commercially available fo...

Solar energy has been actively promoted as a clean energy source since 1973’s oil crisis, evidenced by the emergence of initiatives such as the Solar Heating & Cooling Programme of the International Energy Agency or the US Department of Energy. Nonetheless, solar technologies have not been widely used in the built environment, limiting their operat...

Spong3D is an adaptive 3D printed facade system that integrates multiple functions to optimize thermal performances according to the different environmental conditions throughout the year. The proposed system incorporates air cavities to provide thermal insulation and a movable liquid (water plus additives) to provide heat storage where and wheneve...

The advent of Additive Manufacturing (AM) of ceramic, brought unprecedented possibilities for the building industry while exploring and incorporating components with specific design requirements. It definitively reshaped and expanded the boundaries of what’s possible to achieve with masonry construction and opened new domains, with multiple angles...

p>Complex geometries are undeniable nowadays, according to the enormous progress in parametric software. Giving a close look to the complex geometries; one can easily define the most critical points of any geometry, which are the connecting nodes. These represent a challenge for any project, based on the flow of geometry mesh; each connecting node...

Solar cooling systems have increasingly been a subject of attention during the past couple of decades, for its potential to lower indoor temperatures using solar (and thus renewable) energy. Several initiatives supported by private developers and public organisations such as the Solar Heating & Cooling Programme of the IEA, have been promoting the...

Buildings are the largest consumer of energy demand and the largest emitter of greenhouse gases. More than the 50% of the residential buildings in Europe were built before 1970; the renovation and upgrading of the existing buildings is a priority in the EU energy policies and in all the EU member states. Increasing focus on energy conservation nece...

The integration of decentralised building services into façade components presents advantages not only in functional terms, but also from a construction standpoint. However, this integrated approach seems to be too complex to allow for widespread implementation, having stand-alone examples instead of understanding it as a possible path to follow fo...

The basic principle of '3D Printing' is the layer wise production of real parts from virtual data - be it with laser, with power glue, electron beam or UV light processing (Hopkinson, Hague, & Dickens, 2006). The professional application of '3D Printing' is 'Additive Manufacturing' (AM) and this opens a fascinating new world of engineering. It offe...

We are proud to announce that we have officially completed the NWO funding period by successfully establishing the Journal. For three years JFDE has been supported by the Open Access Fund of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research NWO (www.nwo.nl). We have been able to publish 40 papers in the first three volumes. That is slightly less...

The basic principle of ‘3D Printing’ is the layer wise production of real parts from virtual data – be it with laser, with power glue, electron beam or UV light processing (Hopkinson, Hague, & Dickens, 2006). The professional application of ‘3D Printing’ is ‘Additive Manufacturing’ (AM) and this opens a fascinating new world of engineering. It offe...

The design of sun-shading systems for facades has a large impact on daylight control and on comfort in the built environment in general. Depending on different climates, functions and user preferences, it requires a variety of customized solutions. However, the current options for customization are limited due to restrictions in geometry and fabric...

Complex geometry concrete is being used in building and infrastructure projects, however costly in-situ mouldings are necessary to achieve these geometries. Advancing discretised concrete shell structures requires the development of a new moulding system at lower cost and reduced mould production times. Future thin-walled glass fibre reinforced con...

Resolving the challenges of advancing thin-walled glass fibre-reinforced concrete (GFRC) requires a novel, more automated digital design and manufacturing process that meets the requirements of present demands for thin-walled GFRC panels. The design, optimisation and manufacture of moulds using existing approaches are subject to many limitations an...

From thinking skins to recyclable façades A plethora of new ideas for intelligent, adaptive and sustainable façades The Prototyping efn Mobile programme ‘emerging envelope’ develops innovative façade constructions with international student teams of the European Façade Network (EFN). The inspiring energy of workshops and 1:1 mock-up buildings gener...

This article illustrates the solid building envelope both as an integral system and in terms of its potential for additive manufacturing. The Façade Research Group at the TU Delft works on the building envelope, investigating strategic and process support for development and planning processes and renovation technologies, as well as functionally in...

This paper reports on the research-driven design process of an innovative thermal mass concept: Convective Concrete. The goal is to improve building energy efficiency and comfort levels by addressing some of the shortcomings of conventional building slabs with high thermal storage capacity. Such heavyweight constructions tend to have a slow respons...

The increasing migration into cities leads to an increasing number of people stressed by noise. More and more people are moving into urban settings comprised of multiple noise sources and hard reflective glass and steel facades. The omnidirectional arrangement of noise sources like airborne noise or car traffic noise and their reflection on the fac...