A joint exchange in an informal atmosphere on topics from the world of timber construction – the next L'ignite Holzbau-Stammtisch Stuttgart will take place on 16.06.2026!
This time we were visiting str.ucture. Timo Claus and Kaspar Ehrhardt offer insights into how adaptive reuse is evolving into a systemic, integrative practice that bridges the gap between craftsmanship and civil engineering – and thus represents a scalable approach for future construction projects.
Dealing with building in existing contexts poses particular challenges for timber construction – especially where historic structures must be structurally developed with a high degree of prefabrication. The Historic Oberamteistraße Reutlingen project demonstrates how this challenge can be transformed into a planning opportunity: one of the oldest rows of half-timbered houses in southern Germany is being renovated and complemented by a precisely designed new building.
At the intersection of carpentry and timber engineering, as well as the transformation of the half-timbered structure into a spatial load-bearing framework, the existing building is digitally documented and parametrically reimagined. The new building – functioning as a prosthesis and an adaptive system – accounts for minimal tolerances and fits seamlessly into the existing structure like a custom-made piece of furniture. The rule-based logic of traditional timber construction is thereby translated into algorithmic planning and manufacturing processes. Wood functions as a strategic material – a CO₂ sink, a renewable resource, and a medium for high levels of prefabrication. Parametric methods directly link geometry, structural framework, and manufacturing, thereby enabling precise, resource-efficient interventions in the existing structure.
Renan Prandini from the Institute of Building Structures and Structural Design (ITKE) gave a talk on computational methods for timber engineering using Beaver and introduced the UniversalTimberSlab, a structural system that applies principles of anisotropy and optimal orientation to point-supported timber and timber-composite slabs. By enabling irregular support grids, the system expands the range of design possibilities for multi-story timber construction.
L’ignite Excursion
In addition to the presentations, we were offering an excursion to Reutlingen prior to the timber construction roundtable. There, we toured the new building of the Reutlingen Local History Museum on Oberamteistraße, for which str.ucture was responsible for the structural engineering. Kaspar Ehrhardt and Timo Claus from str.ucture, gave us a guided tour, offering an exclusive look inside the new building, which has not yet been officially opened.
The new museum building features an open space with a timber frame structure, enclosed by a translucent glass brick façade and suspended above a medieval vaulted cellar.
As always, there was plenty of time after the presentations for discussion and networking over drinks and grilled food.
Are you interested in this event and would like to be informed about upcoming dates? We would be happy to add you to our mailing list. Please send us an e-mail to digitize-wood@intcdc.uni-stuttgart.de.
