The Future Facades exhibition showcases innovative facade concepts using Selective Paste Intrusion (SPI) 3D printing to create monomaterial, multifunctional elements that integrate structure, insulation, ventilation, and shading for sustainable, climate-responsive architecture.
Organization
Technical University of Munich, Professorship Digital Fabrication (Prof. Kathrin Dörfler) and Chair of Building Technology and Climate Responsive Design (Prof. Thomas Auer)
Project information
The Future Facades exhibition presents pioneering designs from the TUM studio project “How to Print a House: Extension Altes Hallenbad Heidelberg”. These projects explore the potential of Selective Paste Intrusion (SPI) 3D printing technology to create monomaterial, functionally hybridised facade elements. By merging digital fabrication with climate-responsive strategies, the showcased designs demonstrate how SPI can integrate structure, insulation, ventilation, and shading into a single building component—redefining the boundaries of sustainable architecture.
SolARCH
SolARCH, by Bruno Heringer, Louisa Knopf, and Jesper Druckrey, reimagines the facade as a thermal regulator through SPI-printed, load-bearing arches. Inspired by Trombe wall principles, the arches absorb heat in winter and provide passive cooling in summer. The monomaterial façade integrates thermal storage directly into the building envelope, reducing energy consumption. Additionally, the structure forms a modular grid that combines structural efficiency with design flexibility, resulting in a facade that is both functional and expressive.
Pipe Your House
Marie Fiedler Amlien, Anton Dakowski, and Luca Alexander Jans present Pipe Your House, a bold exploration of monomaterial ventilation facades. The SPI-printed façade integrates air channels within the building envelope, using a chimney effect for natural heating and cooling. This innovative system reduces mechanical energy use while maintaining thermal comfort year-round. The design highlights the air channels as a vertical decorative pattern, blending technical function with a striking architectural identity.
Framing the Square
Hyeonji Kim, Peter Hartenstein, and Dimitri Aleksandrov’s Framing the Square uses SPI technology to redefine the interface between building and public space. The 3D-printed façade incorporates self-shading patterns optimised through solar simulation to reduce heat gain. The monolithic structure integrates shading, insulation, and load-bearing capacity into a single material layer. This functional hybridisation, paired with thoughtful urban design, creates a visually captivating and climate-resilient addition to the Altes Hallenbad plaza.
These projects exemplify how SPI technology when paired with climate-responsive strategies, can produce monomaterial, multifunctional facades that set a new standard for sustainable architectural design.
At the Future Facades exhibition, we invite architects, developers, and industry leaders to discover how our aesthetic BIPV modules enable energy-positive facades without design compromise.