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.
Participating institutes
- IABP - Institute for Acoustics and Building Physics
Focus: Urban building physics and the effects of climate adaptation measures - IBBTE - Chair of Climate Responsive Architectural Design
Focus: Socio-Spatial analysis and impromptu design of adaptation measures - IIS - Institute of Smart Sensors
Focus: Construction and programming of microclimate measurement trackers - IREUS - Institute of Spatial and Regional Planning
Focus: Measurement concepts and data analysis
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.
Module description
During the pilot phase in the winter semester 2025/26 until the summer semester 2026, the two-semester module will be tested in consultation with participants and a student advisory board. Continuous integration into the curricula by the study commissions of the participating faculties is planned. In order to enable the largest possible target group of students to participate, the language of instruction is hybrid. The input lectures are held in English; the tutorials can be held in German or English by individual arrangement for each group.
Assessment is carried out as a course-related examination (LBP) based on the project work. A total of 6 ECTS are awarded for successful participation.
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- Project work winter semester: processing, presentation (lecture) and documentation (written paper) of the creation of a measurement concept and the portable microclimate tracker
- Project work in the following summer semester: processing, presentation (lecture) and documentation (written paper) of the implementation and evaluation of the measurements and the impromptu design of the climate adaptation measures
Sounds interesting? We are looking forward to your questions and comments. Contact us via E-Mail.
Funding information
- Funding provider
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Stiftung Innovation in der Hochschullehre
- Program
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'Freiraum 2025'
- Funding period
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01.04.2025 - 31.03.2027
- Project responsibility
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Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gunnar Grün
Further information on climate adaptation measures in research and teaching at the IABP
Contact
Gunnar Grün
Prof. Dr.-Ing.[Image: Fraunhofer IBP]
Claudia Lüling
Architektin M.Sc., M.Sc.