Focus work topics for our summer session. Application deadline: 15.05.2026

1. Earth–Timber Hybrids: Design, Material, Production

Contemporary rammed earth building constructions require intensive manual labor processes. This is not only relevant in on-site productions but a similar prevailing issue in prefabrication processes. In order to develop feasible alternative production concepts and adapted design principles to evolve efficient earth- timber hybrid constructions we explore feasible options of compressing earthen material as mass infill in timber framing structures.

By designing and optimizing timber framing structure we develop basic frameworks for the earthen infill. Adapting the earthen mixes for easy infilling processes by adapting recipes, sieving lines and distribution of aggregates or tuning clay components in the mixes – we develop optimal material for specific uses in the timber and earth- hybrid building parts.

Subtopics:

1. Design and construction of timber framing parts Optimization of cross-section design of timber members to improve visual quality aesthetics with the earthen material infill, designing connections for easy dismantling of the timber members without using screws or glue for the connections (e.g. timber reuse), increasing friction between timber and earthen infill materials.

2. Optimization of earthen infill materials Raw earthen materials need adaptation in composition, grain size distribution or binding components like clays or reinforcing parts like fibers. In order to elaborate material recipes especially suitable for infills in timber framing we experimentally develop recipes that are optimized for specific infills in timber frames

3. Upscaling production infrastructure design Utilizing partly ready-made machine components originating in the steel industry, we extend design and functionality of hydraulic presses in order to integrate them into timber framing productions. This upscaling design includes raw material preparation, material transport logistics, compaction processes, post- production works and adaptations for on-site field factory productions.

Duration: June-September 2026

Application deadline: 15 May 2026

Cost: max. 200 CHF per group

The work is ideally meant to be in done in teams of two students.  If you are interested please send a short motivation text to: Jomo Zeil, zeil@arch.*ethz.*ch

2. Exploring the structural potential of European-grown bamboo

Bamboo is a sustainable construction material. The project focuses on identifying suitable bamboo species present in Europe and examines their mechanical properties for structural design applications. 

The project also maps current cultivation maps across Europe, highlighting plantations where bamboo farming steadily expands. By analyzing the differences between traditionally imported tropical species and locally grown European bamboo, the study explores the feasibility of relying on European bamboo species and farms. 

Ultimately, the project aims to assess how bamboo can contribute to low-carbon construction and support a more sustainable, locally sourced building industry in Switzerland and Europe.

Duration: June-September 2026

Application deadline: 15 May 2026 Cost: max. 50 CHF per group

The work is ideally meant to be in done in teams of two students. If you are interested please send a short motivation text to: Dr. Ioannis Mirtsopoulos, mirtsopoulos@arch.*ethz.*ch

3. Postgarage Brig Heidi und Peter Wenger + Tihamér Koncz

The Postagarage in Brig embodies the work of architects Heidi and Peter Wenger: their focus on geometry, structure and prefabrication – heavily influenced by Buckmisnter Fuller in the US. The Postgarage is also a prime example for successful collaboration between architects and engineers as engineer Tihamér Koncz constructed it’s shed roof applying one of his patents for the first time: the prefabricated concrete elements are prestressed in their prefab-molds (“Sofortiger Verbund im Spannbett“). 

Currently the building is under threat and therefore it is not without urgency that this focus works aims to investigate the inovation of the structural system, its architectural implementation and the significance beyond the Postgarage. The precise focus can be refined during an initial research phase. 

This focus work is supported by the Heidi & Peter Wenger Foundation. Duration: June-September 2026

Application deadline: 15 May 2026

Cost: max. 150 CHF - 1 excursion to Brig

Appplication: The work is ideally meant to be in done in teams of two students.  If you are interested please send a short motivation text to: Leo Kleine, kleine@arch.*ethz.*ch

4. Exploring potential of existing residential buildings

This project seeks to critically examine the trend of demolishment of typical residential buildings by analyzing the existing structures and exploring alternatives to their removal.

The primary objective is to identify and evaluate the strengths of these buildings, including their architectural qualities, social value, and environmental significance. As a first step, original plans and documentation will be collected and reviewed. The existing structures will then be systematically analyzed, with particular attention to their strengths and weaknesses.

Based on this analysis, the project will develop initial concepts for possible interventions, such as renovation, vertical extension, or partial transformation, as alternatives to complete demolition. However, the main focus of the work lies in the analytical process rather than in detailed design proposals. A key aspect of the study is to investigate whether emphasizing the inherent qualities of these buildings can contribute to a more sustainable, preservation-oriented approach, and potentially encourage stakeholders to reconsider demolition strategies. Alternatively, the project may be structured more flexibly, allowing students to select a building of their own interest. In this case, they will be guided in conducting a comparable analysis and in developing independent proposals based on their findings.

Duration: June-September 2026

Application deadline: 15 May 2026

Cost: max. 50 CHF

Application: The work is ideally meant to be in done in teams of two students.  If you are interested please send a short motivation text to: Natalia Pieroni, pieroni@arch.*ethz.*ch

Current members of the Chair of Structural Design:

• Prof. Dr. Jacqueline Pauli
• Dr. Abderaouf Gacem
• Dr. Federico Bertagna
• Dr. Lluis Ernique Monzo
• Dr. Ioannis Mirtsopoulos
• Dr. Yasaman Yavaribajestani
• Bartosz Bukowski
• Michele Capelli
• Simon Eisenlohr
• Philine Euler-Rolle
• Ursula Jaray
• Stefan Jos
• Leo Kleine
• Juan Orjuela Sepulveda
• Natalia Pieroni

Former members of the chair:

• Dr. Davide Tanadini
• Linus Schmitz

By 2050 at the latest, humanity must manage to step into an ecological age – an age in which it only consumes what is actually available to it, and in which all, absolutely all, material cycles are closed (including those of greenhouse gases). The period, leading up to then, will be marked by a tremendous transition, bringing seemingly enormous challenges, but simultaneously offering a unique opportunity to question everything that is not based on a fundamental physical law of the universe. Like many other things, the way we design, use, and dispose of our buildings will adapt to the new framework conditions. Structural design theory, on the other hand, is based on the basic physical laws of mechanics. From the material, through the construction process, to the building: for centuries, the locally accessible construction material and available artisans with their technical means and skills, in interplay with the local climate conditions, defined how buildings were constructed. Established knowledge of material properties, structural mechanics, and the relationships and interaction between them will remain valid and continue to constitute the backbone of structural design. Ideas, concepts, and utopias for a new generation of load-bearing structures can emerge on this basis.
 

Professur für Tragwerksentwurf

Prof. Dr. Jacqueline Pauli
Stefano-Franscini-Platz 1
8093 Zürich
Switzerland

assistenz.*pauli@arch.*ethz.*ch

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