Curriculum of Space

The field of architecture is grounded in the belief that our environment influences our behavior—it follows then that learning is shaped by the curriculum inherent to our built world. The competition for a new Faculty of Architecture building in Stuttgart presented LAVA with an opportunity to demonstrate the educational potential of a building defined by pedagogical intent. LAVA Partner Tobias Wallisser describes the concept as “not so much a building as a system,” which was devised using evolutionary algorithmic modeling and provides flexible layouts through a voxel-based structure with plane-based load distribution. “The building invites exploration,” Wallisser explains. “It is designed so that every corner offers a new way of understanding the architecture. Unlike traditional buildings, where the structural logic is immediately apparent, this system reveals itself slowly.”

LAVA’s design draws from Le Corbusier’s Maison Dom-Ino (1914–15), a concept that used a simple concrete frame of columns and slabs to create open-plan interiors. Its name refers to a modular system of construction where standardized elements can be combined in multiple different configurations. This approach offers almost unlimited flexibility in layout but presents challenges in connecting different levels. LAVA’s concept relies on a framework that maintains structural stability while allowing spatial freedom and greater flexibility for the relationship between different levels and programs. “We wanted to create a ‘three-dimensional continuum,’” says Wallisser, “a space that isn’t uniform or repetitive, but rather has specific parameters that remain flexible.”

LAVA began the design process by arranging 4x4-meter cubes in a chessboard pattern, which was then extended vertically into an 8x8x8 voxel grid. To guide the parametric modeling of the 8-story building, LAVA used a binary map in which the voxels were marked in black and white to represent voids—regions of low load demand or specific constraints—and spaces where structural elements could be placed. By integrating criteria relating to force distribution, load-bearing capacity, and energy efficiency, the algorithm developed an optimized layout that the architects describe as a “square-edged sponge,” where the voids and voxels function like pores in a permeable, interconnected system.

Rather than relying on vertical columns or a central core, LAVA’s design uses the planes of the voxels as a distributed network of load-bearing elements. The arrangement functions as a web, where the load is transferred horizontally and vertically across interconnected planes to provide a highly rigid structure despite the building’s irregular form. LAVA built on this approach with the KACST Innovation Tower, a building with four offset vertically stacked atria. By employing flag walls to transfer loads between the atria, LAVA eliminated the need for columns while creating structural integrity and a clear central space.

The functional program of university buildings—divided across areas including student workplaces, seminar rooms, lecture theatres, and administrative areas—typically follows one of two strategies. The first is vertical stacking, where spaces with similar dimensions are placed on top of one another to create a repetitive structure. The second is horizontal distribution, where smaller spaces, such as offices, are placed on lower floors, and larger ones, like lecture theatres, are positioned higher up to optimize the building’s load-bearing capacity. While these approaches promote structural cohesion, they often result in divisions of function that limit adaptability over time.

The building’s exterior echoes its interior flexibility. The façade is composed of interchangeable 4x4-meter panels, which can be configured in varying degrees of transparency: opaque, translucent, or clear. This adaptability allows the façade to respond to the evolving needs of the interior. Daylighting, thermal performance, and ventilation can all be adjusted by swapping out or rearranging the external panels. Integrating the climate control system directly into these panels allows for adjustments to heating and cooling from the exterior and eliminates the need for fixed, internal systems. This approach enhances energy efficiency and helps future-proof the design, making it easy to modify as the needs of the building evolve.

LAVA’s concept for the faculty building blends stability with adaptability and pedagogical thought; the building is designed to teach and change as required. “In many ways, this concept echoes the principles of permaculture,” concludes Wallisser. “While humans often impose a neat order on nature—by planting trees in rows or insisting on a perfect green lawn—nature itself functions in an organic, spontaneous way, with elements coming together based on their needs. This design seeks to capture that same spatial richness and flexibility, creating a layout that feels less rigid and more open to exploration, much like nature’s complexity, which, though not overtly structured, exists in harmony.”