EUT+ Building Lab 2026

From 26 June to 3 July 2026, the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering at h_da hosted the on-site phase of a Blended Intensive Programme (BIP), an innovative, international teaching and practical training format. Students from five partner universities within the European University of Technology (EUT+) alliance travelled to h_da for the practical week of the course “Building Lab – Construct, Craft, Communicate”, got to know one another in person following several weeks of online seminars, and worked closely together as a construction team. A total of 25 students and lecturers from h_da, as well as from Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Romania and Cyprus, took part.

At the heart of the joint working week was a practice-oriented construction project: the students planned and built a large pavilion entirely on their own initiative. The venue: the square in front of h_da’s Hydraulic Engineering Hall on the Schöfferstraße campus.

Following their arrival, an introduction to materials and health and safety, and initial team-building activities, the construction work began – after the planning and preparation phase: the students mixed concrete and bent reinforcing bars. They carried out the construction project independently, made decisions as a team and developed practical solutions when problems arose. Where necessary, lecturers and supervisors provided support with advice and practical assistance. “We are proud of our students,” explains Professor Anke Wollbrink, who is responsible for the Sustainable Construction specialism within the faculty. “The international group worked together with great motivation right from the start. Everyone pitched in on their own initiative and everyone knew exactly what needed to be done at all times.”

On Friday 3 July 2026, the new pavilion was officially opened in the presence of h_da President Prof. Dr Arnd Steinmetz and Vice-President Prof. Dr Nicole Saenger. “As hosts of the practical phase of this year’s EUT+ Building Lab, we are helping to actively shape the EUT+ community and breathe life into it,” says Wollbrink. The event was funded by Erasmus+ grants, co-organised by the h_da International Office and supported by the construction company Schäfer III.