Judith Baumeister & Frederike Hagen

Bunte Bauhütte is a realized self-build project developed as part of a collaborative master thesis at RWTH Aachen University. Driven by an urgent necessity and a deep curiosity, this experimental project is dedicated to the design potentials and stimulating processes involved in reusing building components and sheds light on the process - searching for and finding diverse (bunte) materials as well as experiencing and transforming the place as a Bauhütte. On Site – In Search – In Delivery – Into Collection – As a Collective – With Drive – In Flux are the topics that aim to illustrate the essence of the work and its findings.

A radical transformation in the building sector is indispensable. Despite growing environmental and climate challenges, construction often reveals paradoxical behavior: instead of pursuing sustainable resource strategies, practices prevail that lead to shorter building lifespans and ever-increasing waste. The path towards closed material cycles requires more than just technical or infrastructural adjustments. Dealing with what already exists is an unavoidable subject in the current architectural discourse. It is not only a pragmatic decision but also an essential part of a sustainable cultural practice.

The experimental site, a garden shed in the south of Aachen, was rebuilt using the collected finds. 
The immediate presence - planning, building and spending time on-site - enabled ideas to be tested easily and flexibly. This approach heightened awareness of the existing structure of the shed and the influences of its surroundings while sharpening the focus on available resources.

The project poses the question of what creative impulses can be unlocked through the material itself. The unpredictable availability of materials and the timing of their discovery significantly influenced which ideas were conceived, implemented, or adjusted. The intrinsic value of the found materials and the associations they carry were intended to remain visible and become integral parts of the composition.

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