As part of the further development of the Structure and Development Plan (StEP), the university has expanded its strategic orientation to include the focus areas “climate-competent - resilient - connected.” This sharpening of its profile addresses key societal challenges such as climate change, resource scarcity, and sustainable urban development.

The project proposed within the “CZS Rethink” initiative pursues a clearly defined scientific research question on the integration of resource-efficient and circular construction methods (“Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”) into teaching and applied research in the study areas of Architecture and Civil Engineering. To support the transition to a sustainable, resource-efficient circular economy - as well as simpler, more sustainable, and affordable construction - new materials and construction methods focusing on reuse and recycling are to be brought into the spotlight of courses within Architecture and Civil Engineering.

The goal is to develop, test, and scientifically evaluate transdisciplinary teaching and research formats that systematically examine the impact of new materials, construction methods, and reuse strategies. Methodologically, a mixed-methods approach is applied, combining empirical data collection with experimental demonstration projects. These measures aim to involve students more strongly in applied, practice-oriented research and to foster forward-looking competencies.

The research project integrates proven methods from previously successful research projects at HFT, including iCity and Solar Decathlon, thereby further building on the expertise gained from these projects.

• Which content-related and methodological approaches to resource-efficient and circular construction achieve the greatest scientifically verifiable impact in teaching and applied research, and how can the disciplinary perspectives of Architecture and Civil Engineering be systematically integrated?
   
• Which structuring and transfer mechanisms ensure sustainable accessibility, scalability, and long-term further development of the developed content and research structures? How can iterative research cycles be designed in order to bring new materials quickly into teaching and thus into society?
   
• Which design characteristics of transdisciplinary teaching/learning formats measurably promote competence development and research-based problem solving in the area of “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”?
   
• To what extent do the developed formats meet the defined scientific and didactic quality criteria, and how can they be iteratively optimized on the basis of empirical evaluation?? 

To answer the research questions, a mixed-methods approach will be pursued. By combining qualitative and quantitative evaluation procedures, both empirical studies and experimental approaches will be used to develop and evaluate the teaching/learning formats.

The project is therefore positioned not only in the field of content-related research with regard to the teaching material (e.g., leverage effects in material selection), but also in the field of teaching and learning research.

The results are to be published as scientifically grounded recommendations for action and curricularly effective concepts, and integrated into existing research lines at the university (including iCity and Solar Decathlon) in order to make a sustainable contribution to applied construction and sustainability research.