After successful completion of the course, students are able to evaluate and apply basic scientific working methods and methods of interdisciplinary basic research and project development in historical building research in collaboration with disciplines such as anthropology, archaeology, biology, building materials and building physics. The aims of this course are to understand the basic characteristics of a vernacular building form, to work practically with a historical black-hair tent as a little-known building form, to exchange ideas with researchers from other disciplines, and to engage conceptually with the possibilities of building material testing and project concept development for contemporary applications in architecture.


TEXTILE ARCHITECTURE!
BASIC RESEARCH FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW APPLICATIONS USING THE EXAMPLE OF THE BLACK-HAIR TENT

Black-hair tents are a popular tensile and mobile construction used by nomadic peoples whose use can be traced back to around the 13th to 15th centuries BC. The geographical distribution of the use of these tents extends from east of Tibet through the West Asian region to the whole of North Africa. The Black-Haired Tent is most commonly used in dry, hot regions. Researchers' reports and thermal studies suggest that the black goat's hair textile provides a passive cooling effect, which is interesting for a modern sustainable architectural application in times of climate change.

Tracing this phenomenon is the task of this course. By accessing the history of the tent, its applications, the biological origin of the goat hair fabric, anthropological findings and related craft techniques, a fundamental understanding of the architectural form will emerge. Scientific methods of concept development from bionics and, in particular, from thermal structural investigations will be presented and discussed. Based on this, proposals for possible applications in architecture will be developed.  

The course covers a wide range of activities, from practical work with a real black-hair tent, through craft experience in the production of textiles, to familiarisation with computer-aided development and investigation methods.

The course is composed as follows ...

Theory/Basics:  

•     Lectures introducing the subject
•     Interdisciplinary analysis, documentation and discussion
•     Further impulse lectures as preparation for the practical work
•     Interviews with experts

Practice:

• Experience with a real black hair tent; construction, use and dismantling
• Practical learning of production methods (wool preparation, yarns, weaving techniques)
• Interpretation of thermal effects (research data, expert interviews and discussion)
• Research in different disciplines
• Group concept development
• Outline an approach for testing thermal components/building materials
• Discussion of potential applications and their limitations

Thursday May 23th, 18:30 - 20:00 (on site, seminar room 251, Gußhausstraße 28, 1st floor)

• Dr. Kristina Pfeifer, Introduction
  
• Screening of documentary film: Traditional production of the black tent in Turkey and its characteristics

Friday May 24th,  9:00 - 18:00
9:00 - 12:00 (online):
Zoom Meeting ID: 943 471 9368  Password: Participants will receive this by email, otherwise ask by Whatsapp on 0664 884 667 68

• Prof. Shady Attia, University of Liège, Sustainable Architecture & Building Technology
  Assessing the thermal performance of bedouin tents in hot climates
  
• Dr. Kristina Pfeifer, Basics for efficient writing of scientific papers

14:00 - 18:00 (on site, Donau Camping Klosterneuburg, In der Au 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg)

• Dr. Kristina Pfeifer, Joint setting-up of the black-hair tent
• Black hair tents in West Asia and North Africa - history and development
• Deepening of the topics dealt with so far, questions, discussions

Saturday May 25th, 9:00 - 18:00
9:00 - 12:00 (online):
Zoom Meeting ID: 943 471 9368  Password: Participants will receive this by email, otherwise ask by Whatsapp on 0664 884 667 68

• Prof. Dr. Susanne Gosztonyi, Hochschule Luzern, CC Gebäudehülle und Ingenieurbau
  Methoden zur architektonischen Konzeptentwicklung mithilfe der Bionik

14:00 - 18:00 (on site, Donau Camping Klosterneuburg, In der Au 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg):

• Dr. Kristina Pfeifer, Basics for the development of thermic test setups for innovative projects
• Putting down the black hair tent
  
• Creation of project groups, brainstorming and discussion

Tuesday May 28th, 14:00 - 18:00 (on site, Natural History Museum):

• Dr. Ingrid Schierer, Doz. Dr. Karina Grömer & Team (alph.: David Astner, Maximilian Luger, Elisabeth Nagy, Benedict Seidl) Naturhistorisches Museum, Prähistorik
  Workshop with prehistoric textile production techniques
• Dr. Kristina Pfeifer, Final discussion to prepare the project papers

Friday June 21th, 15:00h - 18:00 (on site, seminar room 251, Gußhausstraße 28, 1st floor):

• Dr. Kristina Pfeifer, Final presentation of the project papers

Please note that project papers must be submitted digitally by June 20th, 21:00h.

• compulsory attendance!
• active participation in the course
• submission of a "project paper" (description, analytical and graphic examination of a selected topic)