The strategic goals of this research unit are guided by the principle: "Making sustainable building materials and structures predictable through computational mechanics."

The focus is on wood, plant-based biocomposites, and clay-based materials. They are investigated at various length scales, from their microstructure up to the structural scale. A wide range of computational methods, from continuum micromechanics to finite element approaches, enables the modeling of transport processes, time-dependent behavior, and cracking phenomena in these complex material systems and structures. Identification experiments at different length scales provide input for these models, whose performance is verified through macroscopic testing.

The vision is to identify sustainable building materials in interdisciplinary research teams and, at the same time, develop prediction tools for their use to enable targeted product development and material optimization. At the building level, material models are combined with computational design and deep learning to create intelligent, material-informed design concepts. Sustainable building materials and constructions are indispensable for an ecologically and economically efficient future of our built environment.