With the launch of a digital counterpart, the materials library of the Department of Architecture at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is now also available online. The website boasts comprehensive information ranging from the origin of raw materials and their life cycle to possible applications of each material in architecture. In addition, it features high-quality photos and manufacturer-independent data sheets. The new Materials Database is integrated into the national “Materials Library of German Universities” network, which was co-initiated by KIT.
Collections of architectural materials at universities are a central interface between theory and practical application. They make materials tangible – both in the literal and the figurative sense. This is also true for the KIT Materials Library, a central facility at the KIT Department of Architecture. The library was established in 1968 and reopened in 2023 – after thorough refurbishment by the Studio-MRA architectural firm and a realignment of its content, scientifically led by the Chair of Sustainable Construction. Students and researchers alike can use this open space for research and browsing, but it also serves as a venue for exhibitions and other events.
Added Value beyond Haptic Experience
The focus of this comprehensive collection – and its digital brother – lies on materials for sustainable construction that are biodegradable or technically recyclable. From organic/biotic and organic/fossil to inorganic/metallic and inorganic/mineral – the collection covers all material classes.
“Even though the haptic experience you get when touching a material cannot be replaced by anything: Providing a digital version of the KIT Materials Library makes much sense. This way, our collection is better accessible and available, provides more information on the materials, and facilitates the integration into digital design processes,” explains Dirk E. Hebel, Professor of Sustainable Construction at KIT’s Institute for Building Design and Technology. “At the same time, the new materials database promotes networking between the participating universities whose specialist skills and research focuses in terms of construction material are brought together and made available to the public.”
high-quality photos, and manufacturer-independent data sheets
(Screenshot: Elena Boerman, KIT Department of Architecture).
“Materials Library of German Universities” Network
After two years of preparation, the materials database, now made available to the public, has been integrated into the Materials Library of German Universities (MHD). This network of architectural materials libraries at universities, higher education institutions, and universities of applied sciences pools specific expertise on construction materials and provides it for free in a cooperatively operated database. In 2022, Hebel was one of the initiators of MDH.
More information (in German):
Materials database of the KIT Materials Library
MDH Materials Library of German Universities
More information on the KIT Department of Architecture
Being “The University in the Helmholtz Association”, KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. For this, about 10,000 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 22,800 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence.
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