The courses focus aims at making the students aware of ecological problems. Goal of the interdisciplinary module is to examine the use of innovative technologies, to develop an architecture responsive to particular climatic problems, and to find an approach to architecture as a matter, limited in its longevity yet sustainable through recyclability.

The topics - reduction in toxic emissions, decrease in energy consumption, harvesting of rainwater, implementation of recyclable and renewable materials, use of active and passive solar energy, have acquired a degree of importance equal to the classical, technical and functional issues related to architecture. Under these new influences, the language of contemporary architecture is fundamentally changing. The experimental examination of the physical, ecological, artistic, technological, philosophical, economical and environmental factors shall allow a comprehensive and 'holistic' view in stating the problem. Two incremental workshops will arrange the various thematic areas into manageable workloads, organized by the course instructors in an interdisciplinary fashion, thus allowing topical relationships and correlations to be made apparent.

Core Subjects:

• Ecosystem Dense Space - VO 1,5 ects (1,5h) - Robert Korab
• Buildings and Context - VO 2,5 ects (2h) - Thomas Gamsjäger, Carola Stabauer
• Interface-Envelope - VU 2,5 ects (2h) - Hannah Aufschnaiter, Sonja Leitgeb
• Material Technology - VU 2,5 ects (2h) - Günter Pichler
• Ecologic of Static Design - VO 1 ects (1h) - Alireza Fadai, Adolf Merl

General Electives:

• Ecosystem Dense Space - UE 1 ects (1h) - Robert Korab
• Buildings and Context - UE 3 ects (2h) - Peter Kneidinger, Søren Nielsen 
• Building Physics and Sustainable Aspects - VU 1 ects (1h) - Karin Stieldorf
• Excursion BIOS - VU 3 ects   (2h)

Enroll in the entire module BIOS!

Introduction: March 5th 2018, 14:00 at SEM.1

Register here only if you wish to take part in all of the core subjects of the BIOS module. If wish to partake in only individual subjects of the module, then enroll directly in the chosen course(s) under TISS (Information System of Vienna University of Technology). A registration in the module package results in an automatic enrollment in all of the module subjects. 

Using both passive and active means, future architecture will orient itself more and more towards a reduction in energy consumption, as a means to an environmentally safe way of building. An ecologically safe building is only reasonable and possible when the factors such as climatic conditions, use of recyclable materials, and integration of local topological conditions, are respected. These factors are to be considered at all scales, spanning through the global, urban, individual building and detail development of a project.

Modul-Coordinator: Günter Pichler gpichler@raumgestaltung.tuwien.ac.at