Machine room at the Technical University in Darmstadt by Dietz Joppien

The area of the Technical University of Darmstadt has expanded with a new facility, where the abbreviation ETA refers to a research center for energy efficiency and applied technologies. The funding for the pilot project comes from the German federal government, the state of Hesse, and private industrial companies. The project for the new building of the ETA technology center was designed by a duo of Frankfurt architects, Albert Dietz and Anett-Maud Joppien, who, along with a team of construction and mechanical engineers, worked diligently for three years on optimizing energy requirements and then spent one and a half years implementing the final prototype hall made from prefabricated concrete elements. Several elements are set up in a passive technology system (natural ventilation system using air ducts) to enhance energy efficiency. The glazed front façades are equipped with screen printing to prevent overheating of the interior from sunlight.