Building Envelope and Building physics
Environmentally friendly construction requires, among other things, a good planning of doors and windows. We are experts in heat and moisture protection, building and room acoustics, and air flow.
Our expertise
We collaborate with you to develop innovative, scientifically sound and cost-effective solutions in timber construction and support you in realising your vision. In addition, we support your ongoing development with our training and further education programmes and with company-specific courses and training opportunities.
Share your ideas with us!
Our expertise helps you to evaluate the performance of buildings and to determine and exploit their full potential. Thermal and hygrothermal analysis, both in steady-state and time-dependent cases, provides information on the quality of the construction details and points out criteria that ensure thermal and moisture protection.
In the area of windows, doors, gates and façades, we develop new products and processes and measure the performance of windows and doors, test their burglar resistance, carry out climatic tests and assess components for the rail transport industry.
Our range of services in building physics and envelopes:
- Product development
- Thermal and hygric assessments using measurements and numerical simulations
- Continuing education courses in the field of doors and windows
- Student projects
Furthermore, we test your products in the following areas:
- Burglary resistance
- Windows, doors, gates and façades
- Tunnel escape doors
- Sound insulation and component vibrations
- Rail glazing
We are committed to high quality standards: we have an EN-ISO 17025 accreditation and are a notified body for windows, doors and gates (Notified Body NB 2172).
Your contact persons by competences
Timber Structures
Our aim is to develop reliable, cost-efficient and sustainable solutions for building practices. We provide active and practical support for the optimisation and innovation of structural solutions. We focus on connections, load-bearing components, supporting structures and earthquake engineering, for existing and new buildings and structures. Experimental research and numerical simulation play a key role in this regard.
Research and teaching work closely together to increase the attractiveness of wood as a building material efficiently and sustainably. We are committed to ensuring that our expertise and research findings are directly put into use in our teaching and continuing education programmes, and in standards committees and specialist circles. We want our work to be useful and accessible to all.
Our range of services:
Your contact persons by competences
Fire Safety
We develop on your behalf proportionate, sustainable solutions for products, materials and constructions that meet the many requirements in fire protection, but also legal and physical requirements. Our aim is to develop and test practical solutions that can be used directly in real-life situations.
To this end, we work closely with the other subject area groups within the institute which offer complementary expertise in building physics and dynamics. Moreover, we use our fire protection expertise in the field of building envelopes and structures, and provide guidance in fire protection for external wall cladding, doors, windows, furniture and structures. Our comprehensive approach to fire protection allows us to adjust quickly to new products and requests. We offer you a broad spectrum of knowledge and experience to help solve your fire protection issues.
We have a sound knowledge of the current fire protection regulations and are directly involved in the complete revision of the 2026 fire protection regulations (BSV), which pursue a risk-oriented approach. We assist you in all aspects relating to the fire safety of buildings and facilities and the evaluation of materials and constructions.
Our areas of expertise:
- Development and evaluations of building products and building materials, as well as recommendations on their use and on constructions
- Tests and assessments of the fire performance of façades and building components
- Development of structural components and detailed solutions with fire protection requirements, in combination with soundproofing, thermal insulation and moisture resistance needs
- Support in the development of special solutions for wood applications used for object-related fire protection concepts
- Development of circular construction products with fire protection performance characteristics
- Development of general, company-specific and product-specific processes
- Development of guidelines for the implementation of fire protection requirements
Forms of collaboration:
- Research mandates and consulting services (development and testing)
- Research and development cooperations
- Consulting services
- Expert opinions
- Student work (semester work, projects and graduation theses)
In the area of testing and certification of fire resistance and fire behaviour, we work together with the Swiss Institute for Testing Inspection Certification SIPIZ. (in german)
