Building Physics and Building Ecology

Mission Statement

Our mission is to contribute to the international efforts towards sustainable and habitable built environments, through teaching and research in:

•    Building physics & technology
•    Building & Human ecology
•    Building informatics

Our strength lies in the empirical, computational, and theoretical study of the interactions between people, buildings, and environment.

The Department of Building Physics and Building Ecology researches and teaches in the fields of building physics, (thermohygrics, acoustics, lighting technology, fire protection), building ecology, human ecology, building automation, building diagnostics and monitoring, building informatics, microclimate, urban density and aggregation and its effects, also structural engineering.

In the study course the Department teaches basic studies for the Bachelor of Architecture programme, coordinates modules of the Master of Architecture programme, and is active in the Master of Building Science programme. This English-language programme (detailed description: bst.tuwien.ac.at) takes a scientific technological approach to the built environment from the specialist perspectives of building physics, building technology, building ecology and human ecology, also the application, further development and optimisation of contemporary tools for evaluating the built environment.

During recent years more than twenty-five third-party-sponsored research projects were carried out, with a volume of around 3 million euros in external financing. Moreover, regular scientific conferences were held. The intensive orientation on research is reflected in a great many journal publications, conference transcript entries, book contributions and editions, which, besides lectures and posters for scientific conferences, contribute to the scientific discourse.

The Department has participated in several interdisciplinary doctoral and teaching programmes (two PhD students in the TU doctoral course EWARDS and Environmental Informatics; the university and inter-faculty teaching event Ecological Aspects of Planning and Building), and set up numerous cooperative ventures with institutions, research facilities and firms at home and abroad. The scientific activities in the Department of Building Physics and Building Ecology have won multiple awards, several among them through the Austrian Building Award.