Organized by the Chair of Structural Design at TU Dresden and held at the Design Campus in Pillnitz, the Circular Design Challenge 2025 brings together students, researchers, and professionals from around the globe to explore sustainable architecture and engineering. In collaboration with Penn State University, led by Assistant Professor Orsolya Gáspár, the summer school fosters innovation and promotes environmental responsibility through circular design principles and material reuse.

Participants will engage in interdisciplinary teamwork, creating solutions that contribute to carbon-neutral cities and circular economies. They will work on practical design challenges and apply the principles of the 9Rs (Refuse, Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Refurbish, Remanufacture, Repurpose, and Recycle).

An immersive, hands-on learning experience in sustainable and circular architecture. You’ll attend expert lectures, participate in interdisciplinary design workshops, collaborate internationally, and develop a real-world project using reclaimed materials—all culminating in a public exhibition.

Invited Speakers:
 

A diverse group of leading academics and practitioners in sustainable architecture, including:

• Prof. Dr.-Ing. Matthias Beckh – TU Dresden
  Specialist in lightweight structures and circularity in architectural design.
• Thomas A. Geisler – Director, Kunstgewerbemuseum Dresden
  Opening remarks and program introduction.
• Asst. Prof. Orsolya Gáspár – Penn State
  Expert in structurally informed design and geometry.
• Jagoda Cupać, PhD – TU Delft
  Focus on reuse and recallability of glass, creator of a glass reuse database.
• Jonas Warmuth, PhD – EPFL
  Co-developer of the PHOENIX3D plugin for Grasshopper—supporting circular structural design.
• Prof. Dr. Mario Rinke – University of Antwerp
  Researcher in circularity in building materials and architecture.
• Dr.-Ing. Arch. Katharina Neubauer – Material and Space / Concular
  Co-founder of THOMAS and Concular, expert in material circularity.
• Tobias Hatzfeld, PhDc – UNU-FLORES
  Researcher in Life Cycle Assessment and material sustainability.