Integrated Infrastructure (In³) is an interdisciplinary international research project at the Bauhaus- Universität Weimar (BUW) and the Ethiopia Institute for Architecture, Building Construction and City Development (EiABC). The main objective of Integrated Infrastructure is to create knowledge, tools, and networks for establishing high-quality, interdisciplinary, cross-continental research and education on planning and building of resilient cities in Ethiopia and Germany. Starting from the premise that the technical infrastructure (water, energy, transport) acts as a main driver for spatial and thus also social developments, we focus on the development and implementation of an integrated planning strategy (IPS), that helps to anticipate the technical infrastructure in the planning and implementation of spatial structures (buildings, streets, lots, public spaces) in the best possible manner.

The IPS connects technical infrastructure with architectural and urban spatial planning via three components, namely Technology, Simulation and Participation (see figure 1). The short title of the project – IN³ – shall reflect the integrative interplay of the three components. In particular, Technology (T) refers to adaptable, robust and resource efficient technological solutions, Simulation (S) to computational models for predicting urban developments and Participation (P) to broad stakeholder participation for fostering bottom-up initiatives. By developing well-attuned interfaces between these three components we are creating a robust framework for the planning of emerging cities, since the better these interfaces work, the more effective an iterative improvement process can take place. The more effective the improvement process, the better the whole systems (building, city, infrastructure) abililty is to learn and adapt to changing situations.

The project offers funded positions both at the EiABC in Addis Abeba and at the Bauhaus University in Weimar. Furthermore, this project encourages and support interested PhD / doctoral candidates from Ethiopia and Germany to participate in the project with a PhD Thesis. We would strongly support their application at scholarship programs like the PhD scholarship programs at DAAD like In-Country/In-Region Scholarships, Eastern Africa – 2016/17 or the home grown and sandwich program from the MoE in Ethiopia (see https://www.daad.de/deutschland/en/ or http://www.daad-ethiopia.org/en/).
 

For more information please visit the project website