Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM
Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM
Blick über den Tellerrand Februar 2026
© freepik / Fraunhofer ITWM
Blick über den Tellerrand Februar 2026

Blick über den Tellerrand (Thinking Outside the Box) February 2026

Our look beyond the horizon on February 24, 2026, is entitled »Construction revolution: Circular construction through standardization in multi-story timber construction«. The speaker is Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jürgen Graf. He has been Professor of Structural Design and Materials in the Department of Architecture at RPTU in Kaiserslautern since 2013 and Research Spokesperson for t-lab Wood Architecture and Wood Materials since 2014.

© freepik / Fraunhofer ITWM

Series of Talks »Blick über den Tellerrand«

Our series of lectures is held in German.

Once every month, the Fraunhofer ITWM opens its doors and invites everyone who is interested to broaden their horizon. The interdisciplinary lecture series »Blick über den Tellerrand« of the Felix Klein Center for Mathematics presents different perspectives on a wide spectrum of topics in the area of science and technology.

Exciting experts from a wide range of fields will speak and discuss with the guests. Everyone is cordially invited and admission is free. The event will take place on site at the Fraunhofer Center and will also be broadcast virtually.

»Blick über den Tellerrand« (Thinking Outside the Box) in February 2026 »Construction Revolution: Circular Construction Through Standardization in Multi-Story Timber Construction«.

 

Tuesday, February 24, 2026
5pm – 6:30pm

The lecture will be held in German.

There is currently a shortage of over one million apartments across Germany – apartments that should be built. At the same time, the construction industry is responsible for 40 percent of CO2 emissions, 50 percent of resource consumption, and 55 percent of waste generation. Circular construction methods enable resources and CO2 emissions to be saved by avoiding waste. Implementing this would be nothing less than a construction revolution. Standardization and multi-story timber construction are two key factors that promote a construction revolution.

About the Speaker

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jürgen Graf (RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Department of Architecture, Structural Engineering and Materials).

Jürgen Graf studied civil engineering and received his doctorate in engineering from the University of Stuttgart. He then worked as a project manager at RFR Stuttgart and later founded the engineering firm »graf ingenieure«. Since 2013, he has been Professor of Structural Engineering and Materials in the Department of Architecture at RPTU in Kaiserslautern and, since 2014, research spokesperson for t-lab Wood Architecture and Wood Materials. His research focuses on recyclable timber construction.

The event will be moderated by Prof. Dr. Karl-Heinz Küfer. He is the speaker for the Felix Klein Center for Mathematics and head of the »Optimization« division and »Optimization in the Life Sciences« department at the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM.

Participation Options:       

  1. On site in the lecture hall of the Fraunhofer ITWM,
    Fraunhofer-Platz 1, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany  
  2. By video conference via Microsoft Teams: https://s.fhg.de/tellerrand-2026-02


Technical Hints

After you have clicked on the Microsoft Teams link, a browser window will open – if you are not yet using Microsoft Teams – and you will be asked How would you like to join your Microsoft Teams meeting? You can use Microsoft Teams via a browser (e.g. Chrome) or you can download the Windows app to your desktop or install the Microsoft Teams app on your smartphone or tablet.

»Blick über den Tellerrand« (Thinking Outside the Box) is an interdisciplinary lecture series of the Felix Klein Center for Mathematics with changing topics.

If you have any questions, please contact Sylvia Gerwalin, e-mail: sylvia.gerwalin[at]itwm.fraunhofer.de, telephone: 0631-31600-4424.