Research Projects
There are 104 results.
Mind the gap - Development of a Directional Drilling Method for Shallow Geothermal Energy
The project develops a miniaturised directional drilling method enabling geothermal boreholes to be installed beneath existing buildings, addressing a major gap in densely built urban areas. By drilling from accessible edge zones and keeping all probes on private land, permitting procedures are simplified and public-space interventions minimized. The study assesses technical, regulatory and economic feasibility and forms the basis for subsequent prototype development.
U-Bahn goes circular - Increasing the Circular Economy in the Civil Engineering Works of Vienna’s Subway Lines
The objective is to develop and pilot strategies for the reuse and material recovery of excavated materials in order to significantly reduce CO₂ emissions, landfill volumes, and the use of primary raw materials. To this end, innovative analytical methods, digital tools, new business models, and the legal frameworks at the interface between construction and waste legislation are addressed. The results are intended to serve as the basis for a subsequent real-world laboratory and to enable scalable processes for future infrastructure projects. In doing so, the project makes a tangible contribution to climate neutrality, resource conservation, and sustainable procurement in public construction.
LiveDetail - AI-Supported Structuring, Evaluation, and Generation of Construction Details
The exploratory project investigates the feasibility of an AI-supported workflow that can automatically identify, semantically structure, and convert technical planning details into an openBIM-/IFC-compatible format while also enriching them with ecological assessment indicators. Its objective is to enable planners and architects to access high-quality detail knowledge through intelligent, language-based interaction and thus support more sustainable and resource-efficient planning decisions in the construction industry.
Re-Use: Holzhaus (Re-Use – Timberhouse) - Scenarios of conduction for Repair, Refurbish & Repurpose of prefabricated timber houses
The Re-Use: Holzhaus project deals with the recyclability of prefabricated wooden components, which are generally used for single-family homes and small apartment buildings and have both a long tradition and a diverse manufacturing structure in Austria. The project aims to take significant steps along the entire value chain to make components from the past more attractive as secondary raw materials and to prepare future prefabricated houses for this purpose in the best possible way.
REHSA - Regenerative House for Health
REHSA focuses on the topic of "Demonstration of innovative building technologies and prototypes." The project will develop a groundbreaking, regenerative clinic model that goes far beyond conventional sustainability and combines innovative architecture, circular resource use, intelligent IT and medical technologies, and healing, people-centered environments.
FacilityQ - Machine-readable building data for building operation
FacilityQ develops an AI-supported, standards-based workflow for the automated and seamless transfer of planning and construction data to building operations. Semantic data modeling, document classification, and interoperable interfaces create a scalable process that drastically reduces the effort and costs when starting building operation.
ReCapture - Rapid Capture and Precise Analysis of the Building Envelope as a Basis for Circular Economy in the Existing Building Stock
The goal of the study is to evaluate a novel sensor- and AI-based technology for automated detection, semantic segmentation, and 3D modeling of building envelopes.
Wärmezukunft Steyr - Innovative Models for Climate-Neutral Heat Supply in Steyr
The project aims to establish the foundation for a climate-neutral, socially inclusive, and economically viable heating and cooling system in a pioneer city. It combines technical planning with governance approaches and the development of business and operator models. A special focus is placed on anergy networks, which - despite high upfront investments - offer strong potential for low-temperature, dual-purpose heating and cooling supply.
MARGRET Bioshade - Building Physics-Based Quantification of the Shading and Cooling Performance of Building Greening
The MARGRET Bioshade project investigates the impact of building greening on energy efficiency, climate adaptation, and building assessment. Its focus is on quantifying the shading performance of vertical greening systems, analyzing the water balance and evaporative cooling effects of different greening solutions, and developing standardized parameters for planning, simulation, and technical guidelines.
reSOILution - Utilization of excavated soil for the production of earthen building materials
Excavated materials generate large amounts of waste and represent a key lever for resource conservation and waste reduction in the construction sector. The reSOILution project explores how excavated soil can be circularly processed into earthen building materials to reduce CO₂ emissions and promote a sustainable construction industry.
BROWNFIELD-PV Leoben - Sondierung einer PV-Anlage auf der in Nachsorge befindlichen städtischen Deponie Seegraben (Leoben)
The project develops an innovative multi-benefit approach for urban landfill photovoltaics by integrating methane oxidation, biodiversity-enhancing vegetation, and inclusive citizen participation.
KPQ goes NEB – Transformation of a Climate Pioneer Existing Neighborhood Using NEB Quality Criteria (Based on KPQ Graz)
With the "Climate Pioneer City Graz" (KPS Graz) project, the City of Graz is pursuing the strategic implementation of its climate protection plan by developing climate-neutral neighbourhoods, among other things. Based on the ongoing exploratory project "KPQ Graz", "KPQ goes NEB" focuses on the climate-neutral transformation of the Roseggersiedlung - a residential neighbourhood owned by Wohnen Graz dating back to the 1940s with 395 residential units. The aim is to transfer tried-and-tested development processes from new-build and conversion projects to the more complex environment of an existing neighbourhood.
MidSKliN – Minimally invasive dynamic rehabilitation taking into account climate change adaptation, CO₂ emissions and grid compatibility
The project aims to develop and demonstrate minimal renovation measures at the building envelope level using modular, technically easy-to-implement building technology solutions for decisive CO2 reduction and climate adaptation in urban building stock.
QS-winmount - Quality-Assured, Practice-Tested, Sustainable and Prefabricated Window Installation for Renovation and New Construction
The QS-winmount project is developing a sustainable, innovative, prefabricated window pre-wall mounting frame that integrates thermal bridge-free design, airtightness, solar shading, ventilation with heat recovery, fall protection, and fire protection.
WLCÖ - Whole Life Carbon Austria: Comparative life-cycle assessments for buildings and construction methods in Austria
The project's aim is to develop a scientifically robust building LCA methodology that can be applied throughout Austria and enable a neutral, consistent comparison of conventional and future-proof constructions.
KaTaSi - Exploratory Project: Opportunities for the Renovation and Upgrading of the Kanaltaler Settlement in St. Veit
With this exploratory project, the city of St. Veit aims to establish a best practice – preserving existing qualities and adding new ones, addressing structural, physical, urban planning, architectural, and other challenges – while ensuring ecological, social, and economic sustainability.
Climate Scan District - Exploration and evaluation of potential districts regarding their suitability as a pioneer district
The "Climate Scan District" project aimed to select the most suitable pioneer district in Dornbirn by applying the klima:aktiv criteria catalog for climate-neutral districts. This supports the city's transformation to climate neutrality by 2040. Extensive district profiles, action plans, and future visions were developed to create a well-founded and comprehensive basis for decision-making.
Commercial Quarter Erdberger Mais (EBM) - Transformation of a Business Development Area into a Climate-Resilient Commercial Quarter
The project addresses the urgent need to further develop existing industrial areas in a climate-resilient, resource-efficient, and future-oriented way. The approximately 7.6-hectare commercially used site in Vienna is to be developed as an industrial-commercial area in line with the Wien-Plan (Urban Development Plan 2035).
Wood.TAB - Investigation of thermally activatable timber components incorporating phase‑change materials for heating and cooling
Wood.TAB develops thermally activatable timber components with biogenic phase‑change materials for efficient heat and cold storage. The technology uses the building mass as a thermal storage system, reduces peak loads, and improves indoor comfort.
Densifying without Sealing - Research on the sustainable transformation of existing single-family neighbourhoods
Interdisciplinary research to develop and test a new approach for significantly increasing density in existing single-family neighbourhoods without adding any new sealed land, by strategically extending buildings upwards within their current footprint. The project delivers a practical decision basis to pave the way for a demonstration project supporting climate-resilient urban development.