competition win - Aachen’s urban core as energy ressearch lab on display by Fraunhofer IEG

competition win - Aachen’s urban core as energy ressearch lab on display by Fraunhofer IEG

Tapping into the thermal water ribbon beneath the city’s surface, the new Fraunhofer "Center for Energy and Climate Technology" doesn’t sit on the sidelines - it is embedded within the urban fabric and inscribed in its public life. This research facility turns science outward, making climate innovation visible and accessible, inviting dialogue, transparency and civic relevance.

Our winning design responds with an L-shaped block that both respects and reactivates its dense context. Its material honesty - wood, earth, reused terrazzo - speaks of a carbon-conscious future, while the green roofs, photovoltaic arrays and aquathermal integration perform what the science within seeks to enable: the post-fossil city.