FAME - Natural fibre composite multi-span slab systems for the adaptive reuse and sustainable renovation of existing building stock
The construction industry is the world's largest industrial sector and a major contributor to Germany's economic strength. At the same time, it faces urgent challenges: high material consumption, limited potential for circular practices, and the need to upgrade an ageing building stock. As renovation and adaptive reuse become central to climate-friendly construction, new lightweight, resource-efficient, and spatially adaptable structural systems are required.
The FAME project addresses this need through the development of a lightweight, modular multi-span slab system made from natural fibre composite materials. By combining bio-based fibres with timber panel elements, the project enables larger spans with significantly reduced material use. A key advantage of the system is its geometric flexibility: the hybrid multi-span principle allows variable column positions and adaptable slab geometries, supporting diverse spatial configurations and facilitating interventions in heterogeneous existing structures.
Robot-assisted manufacturing and digitally integrated design workflows enable precise, scalable, and sustainable production processes. The resulting slab systems are reversible, resource-efficient, and capable of accommodating changing spatial and functional requirements, which makes them particularly suited for renovations, extensions, and adaptive reuse scenarios.
PROJECT TEAM
Institute for Computational Design and Construction (ICD), University of Stuttgart
Nikoletta Christidi, Dr.-Ing. Christoph Zechmeister, Prof. Achim Menges
Institute of Building Structures and Structural Design (ITKE), University of Stuttgart
PROJECT FUNDING
Klimaschutzstiftung Baden-Württemberg