ITECH Master Studio

Form, Find, and Play
S. de Uría, M. Hruntes, A. Mzannar

Form and Structure Seminar ()
M. Kazmiruk, E. A. Gonzalez, F. Eidner, L. Riedel, G. Neubauer, V. Wagner, Prof. Dr.-Ing. J. Knippers

The project develops a playground that enables children’s exploration while allowing parents in the adjacent café clear visual supervision. Two existing trees are used as fixed constraints to define a primary structural spine. From these points, a closed curve composed of catenary segments forming an infinity loop is generated and used for form-finding in Kangaroo2, where crossing distances, inflation for volumetric depth, and anchor positions for supports are controlled. The optimized spine is converted into a tubular surface and discretized through hexagonal tiling; linear members extracted from these panels define the structural frame. A second Kangaroo2 optimization regulates member lengths (10–60 cm), avoids collisions via radius control, and preserves panel planarity, reducing unique members from 485 to 9. Structural evaluation in Karamba3D, with cross-section optimization via Opossum, minimizes diameters while maintaining stability, leading to a non-modular system of uniquely fabricated components.

Rain-to-Sun Botanical Tower
A. Özel, J. Tullander, Y. Chang

Form and Structure Seminar ()
M. Kazmiruk, E. A. Gonzalez, F. Eidner, L. Riedel, G. Neubauer, V. Wagner, Prof. Dr.-Ing. J. Knippers

“Rain-to-Sun Botanical Tower” develops a coupled form-generation and optimization workflow for a park-based vertical garden that harvests rainwater and maximizes solar exposure. Stacked planting platforms address the inefficiency of ground-based beds, with rain and sun acting as primary geometric drivers. A form-found membrane canopy channels rainfall into a central reservoir, while platform orientation and spacing are tuned to improve solar access within a compact footprint. Structurally, a central steel mast provides the main load path and er****on datum, with a bracing network controlling wind response, torsion from asymmetric platforms, and force transfer between canopy anchors, platforms, and reservoir core. Design variants are evaluated through parametric comparison of water collection, solar gain, and structural performance. The workflow links climatic inputs → geometry generation → structural verification, producing a materially efficient tower integrating planting, water capture, and stability.