Monika Göbel: The Future of Architecture Is Built into the Material
Architecture Needs to Use Resources More Intelligently
The demand for housing and infrastructure is growing worldwide. At the same time, the construction industry remains one of the largest contributors to CO₂ emissions and resource consumption. For Monika Göbel, simply making existing building methods more efficient is not enough. Architecture needs to be fundamentally rethought.
That is exactly what the Wangen Tower represents. The research project by the Institute for Computational Design and the Institute of Building Structures and Structural Design at the University of Stuttgart was developed as part of the Integrative Computational Design and Construction for Architecture Cluster of Excellence. The tower demonstrates how digital design processes, robotic fabrication and bio-based materials work together to create higher-performance structures while using fewer resources.
Its construction does not follow conventional structural logic. Instead, its shape and structure emerge from the properties of the material itself. Three-dimensional curved timber elements carry loads with remarkable efficiency. At the same time, the tower was fabricated and assembled with almost no scaffolding. This reduces material use, energy consumption and construction effort. For Monika Göbel, this is where innovation truly begins.
“Experimental architecture is essential because it allows us to test new materials and construction methods under real conditions. For us, innovation does not mean using less material. It means using materials intelligently and according to their structural capabilities.”
The Wangen Tower represents a fundamental shift in perspective. Materials are no longer treated as passive building components. They actively shape the design itself. For Göbel, research does not end when a building is completed.
“Objects are not static. They should be a shell for people and the ways they use them.”
Bio-based materials often reveal their full potential only through long-term use. Monitoring, long-term observation and digital models continuously generate new insights into how materials actually perform.
“Sometimes the material system tells us it is capable of much more than we originally expected.”
Every project becomes part of an ongoing learning process. New knowledge feeds directly into the next design. Architecture evolves one step at a time.
Digital Tools Need Architectural Thinking
At the ICD, artificial intelligence, digital workflows and robotic fabrication are already part of everyday practice. Even so, Göbel sees one development with concern.
“Many people today no longer have a strong foundation in understanding how spaces work and how people experience them.”
As digital tools become more powerful, a deep understanding of space, material and human experience becomes even more important. Many of the institute's solutions are therefore rooted in fundamental architectural principles. How can a building be cooled naturally? How can airflow be used? Which spatial concepts improve a building's climate without relying on complex technical systems? For Göbel, the responsibility still lies with architects.
“As architects, we still have to define what we want a building to achieve for people, for the environment and for the planet.”
Digital tools support the design process. They do not replace it. Many of the answers to today's challenges have been known for decades. Bio-based materials, circular construction, greater biodiversity and new housing concepts are no longer future visions. Yet cities continue to produce the same types of buildings.
“I see more and more valuable sites in our cities being developed in exactly the same way.”
For Göbel, the challenge is therefore not only about developing new technologies. It is about having the courage to consistently apply the knowledge we already have.
“We have actually known this for the past forty years. We urgently need to bring more bio-based materials and reclaimed timber into construction.”
The Wangen Tower makes exactly this visible. The project brings together research and practice, digital technologies and natural materials, experimental construction and real-world application. It demonstrates that sustainable innovation is not about doing less. It is about gaining a better understanding of materials, construction and architecture.
How Is Research Changing Your Design Process?
The German Design Awards recognise projects that position design as a driver of innovation. The Wangen Tower demonstrates how digital design, material research and architecture can come together to develop new answers to the challenges of construction.
It proves that sustainable innovation happens when research and design move forward together. If your project offers new answers to the challenges of our time, we look forward to your submission to the German Design Awards 2027.
Take the opportunity to present your work to an international jury and become part of a global network of design excellence.
