Deeper basic understanding of the ecological and economic pros and cons of lightweight, massive, and composite construction as well as their support and functional structures.

Encouragement of a sensibility and understanding of the characteristics of particular materials and the building elements made out of them. Deeper basic understanding of materials and components as well as their behaviour and principles of assembly, especially those that significantly influence construction building and detail design.

Presentation and comparison of various building methods in relation to aspects of architecture, location, structural characteristics of surface-structural and support-beam constructions (form active, vector active, mass active, surface active and perpendicular load bearing systems), life-cycle costs and quality consistence in maintenance and repair. Out of which the potential for planning the flexibility (adaptation and deconstruction) of space and building structures for various usage requirements will be discussed.
Tutorial on materials, parameters of building construction and physics of construction, construction systems, surface qualities, processing, techniques of production, assembly and montage, as well as availability of raw materials, environmental impact, disassembly, separability, recyclability of material and construction components.

Among others, wall, floor, ceiling, and roof constructions in lightweight, massive, and composite construction will be dealt with as well as general sets of questions and methods for dealing with air-tightening, wind-proofing, and thermal bridges/losses in the design of thermal building envelopes.

Polina Petrova, San-Hwan Lu, Michael Seidel, Gerhard Steixner