Project objective
Climate change and the loss of biodiversity are among the greatest challenges of our time. Interdisciplinary solutions must be found to adapt to the consequences of climate change, which are increasingly occurring in urban areas. This is where the project comes in: students from different faculties conduct joint research on the topics of climate adaptation and biodiversity in urban areas as part of a Master's module.
The module is aimed at students from the fields of:
- Architecture and urban planning
- Civil engineering and Environmental engineering
- Electrical engineering.
In the spirit of “peer learning”, each student acts as an expert in his or her field and passes on knowledge to the others. This imparts interdisciplinary knowledge regarding climate change, adaptation measures and biodiversity promotion. It also improves students' digital, team and professional skills.
The one-year pilot phase will start in the winter semester 2025/26.
Get in touch now: E-Mail
Module structure
The module focuses on “hands-on learning”, in other words learning through the independent and practice-oriented application of the knowledge to be acquired. The following elements are provided for this purpose:
- Project planning, management, public relations
- Measurement technology in the field of urban building physics
- Development and construction of microclimate measurement trackers
- Digital data acquisition, evaluation and processing
- Reflection on the urban quality experienced
- Design concept for climate adaptation measures
- Interactive science walk
After initial input lectures, the students develop a specific individual research question with a measurement concept and work plan. Each group then builds a functional portable microclimate measurement tracker. For this purpose, the IABP provides a single-board computer and a selection of high-performance sensors in a modular design. The "measuring rucksack" is used to examine an urban environment in terms of its urban physical conditions and compare them with the qualitative surveys.
Depending on the groups' individual thematic focus, the following parameters are to be recorded by the measurement trackers in addition to location (GPS) and time:
- Air temperature & relative humidity
- Radiation & surface temperatures
- Wind velocity
Based on this, climate adaptation measures will be developed for the area. These are intended to translate the findings from urban planning physics into concrete architectural and urban planning designs.
Finally, the groups present their results as part of a science walk, which is also the examination. The results of the seminar papers are bundled as best practice examples and thus made accessible to the general public.
During the pilot phase in the winter semester 2025/26 until the summer semester 2026, the module will be tested as a two-semester seminar in consultation with participants and a student advisory board. Continuous integration into the respective curricula by the study commissions of the participating faculties is planned.
Sounds interesting? We are looking forward to your questions and suggestions. Contact us via E-Mail and apply to take part in the pilot phase.
Further information on climate adaptation measures in research and teaching at the IABP
Funding information
- Funding provider
-
Stiftung Innovation in der Hochschullehre
- Program
-
'Freiraum 2025'
- Funding period
-
01.04.2025 - 31.03.2027
- Project responsibility
-
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gunnar Grün
Contact
Gunnar Grün
Prof. Dr.-Ing.[Image: Fraunhofer IBP]
Claudia Lüling
Architektin M.Sc., M.Sc.