CampUS hoch i

The goal of the research project was to support the University of Stuttgart in becoming climate-neutral by the year 2035 at the latest. To achieve this, exemplary possibilities for a climate-neutral campus were to be analyzed and demonstrated based on selected buildings on the Vaihingen campus. The project, conceived as a "real-world laboratory," relied on a transdisciplinary approach and the participation of various interest groups at the university through different engagement formats.

The main focus of the research was to explore how climate neutrality can be achieved in newly constructed and renovated buildings, including their integration into the surrounding neighborhood using intelligent technologies and innovative approaches. This was to be demonstrated using a total of four buildings - two existing and two new buildings - on the Vaihingen campus. The buildings were selected in such a way so that, due to their different characteristics, such as size and usage, the results could be transferred to other (non-) university buildings and neighborhood structures.

In addition to technological solutions for realizing climate-neutral buildings, an essential goal of the project was also to involve broad segments of interested and affected people, as well as to coordinate closely with relevant stakeholders early within the planning process. Participation in the design process was facilitated through various formats such as hackathons, participation portals, workshops, surveys, and social networks.

Furthermore, the project aimed to inform and involve the public using clear and illustrative communication elements. One such element was a "climate barometer," a lighting installation up to 10 meters high on the facade of a building near the S-Bahn exit, which should visually indicate the extent to which climate neutrality had already been achieved at the University of Stuttgart. Additionally, a "construction hut," designed e.g. as a pavilion, was planned to showcase and explain the technologies and innovations used, such as new building materials and intelligent control systems.

Project home page

03/2021 - 02/2024

Along with IGTE, the following project partners of the University of Stuttgart were involved:

• Institute of Energy Economics and Rational Energy Use (IER)
• Center for Interdisciplinary Risk and Innovation Studies (ZIRIUS)
• Institute of Construction Materials (IWB)
• Green Office

Final Report project CampUS hoch i (PDF)

The project “CampUS hoch i“ was funded by the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts of the State of Baden-Württemberg (MWK), Germany under grant number 31-0421.915-4/155/98. The authors would like to sincerely thank for their support and take responsibility for the content of this publication.