The University of Stuttgart’s Institute for Computational Design and Construction (ICD) has collaborated with the Institute of Building Structures and Structural Design (ITKE), to create the Urbach Tower, a unique landmark that’s been built in Germany.
The design of the tower emerges from a new self-shaping process of the curved wood components. This pioneering development constitutes a paradigm shift in timber manufacturing from elaborate and energy-intensive mechanical forming processes that require heavy machinery to a process where the material shapes entirely by itself. This shape change is only driven by the wood’s characteristic shrinking during a decrease of moisture content.
The 45 foot (14m) tower is composed from pieces of wood that are designed and manufactured in a flat state, which then transform autonomously into the final, programmed curved shapes during industry-standard technical drying. This results in each designed panel being a thickness of just 3.5 inches (9 cm) thick, while 5 axis CNC cut components helped to create the design.
12 individual prefabricated components were pre-assembled in groups of 3, while the exterior is made from Larche Wood with a titanium oxide surface treatment.
The Urbach Tower is the first wood structure made from self-shaped components, and it serves as a landmark building for the City of Urbach’s contribution to the Remstal Gartenschau 2019.
The tower has a 13 foot (4m) radius at the base, a 5 foot (1.6m) radius in the middle, and a 9 foot (3m) radius top, while the design of the panels make the tower appear as if it’s twisting.
Architectural Design / Self-forming Curved Wooden Components Research and Development: ICD – Institute for Computational Design and Construction, University of Stuttgart (Prof. Achim Menges, Dylan Wood), Structural Design and Engineering: ITKE – Institute of Building Structures and Structural Design, University of Stuttgart (Prof. Jan Knippers, Lotte Aldinger, Simon Bechert)
Self-forming Curved Wooden Components Research and Development (PI): Scientific collaboration: Laboratory of Cellulose and Wood Materials, Empa (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology), Switzerland & Wood Materials Science, ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich), Dr. Markus Rüggeberg, Philippe Grönquist, Prof. Ingo Burgert
Industry collaboration: Self-forming Curved Wooden Components Research and Development / Wood Manufacturing and Construction: Blumer-Lehmann AG, Gossau, Switzerland (Katharina Lehmann, David Riggenbach)
Project Support: Gemeinde Urbach, Remstal Gartenschau 2019 GmbH, German Federal Environmental Foundation, Innosuisse – Swiss Innovation Agency, Carlisle Construction Materials GmbH, and Scanntronik Mugrauer GmbH
