Elective course | Summer semester 2025
Design Build Workshop: Rammed Earth Floor - Historisches Museum Oberamteistraße Reutlingen
As part of a participatory workshop in May 2025, architecture and interior architecture students from Technical University of Applied Sciences Stuttgart installed a rammed earth floor in the basement of the Museum Historische Oberamteistraße in Reutlingen under the guidance of the earth building company Monolut. The Design Build workshop was initiated by Philipp Stute (wulf architekten) and Melissa Acker (HFT Stuttgart).
Under the guidance of Nico Hlawinka and Lennart Sswat from the company Monolut, students actively participated and thus contributed to the heritage-appropriate restoration. The cellar is in contact with the ground and originally had a historic clay floor. Clay regulates humidity and creates a pleasant indoor climate — it can even absorb odors. After placement, the earthen floor was compacted from 15 cm down to 9 cm — first manually, then using protective overshoes and hand tampers, and finally with a vibrating plate compactor. Within just three days, the rammed-earth floor was installed and sanded before being left to dry for several weeks. A final sealing with carnauba wax follows.
The floor has a calm, earthy appearance and demonstrates precise craftsmanship. Even Reutlingen's Mayor Thomas Keck paid a visit to the workshop and lent a hand. The Museum Historische Oberamteistraße project is being completed in autumn 2025. The client is the city of Reutlingen.
The workshop was an elective course organized by wulf architekten in cooperation with HFT Stuttgart, Monolut, conluto and the city of Reutlingen. The practical workshop was led by Philipp Stute M.A. and Dipl.-Ing. Stephan Burger (wulf architekten), Nico Hlawinka and Lennart Sswat (Monolut GmbH), as well as Dipl.-Des. Melissa Acker (HFT Stuttgart).
Kick-off event
A kick-off event was held in March 2025 to prepare for the workshop.
This included a tour of the construction site in Reutlingen by project manager Stephan Burger (wulf architekten) and a visit to a reference project: the Sülchenkirche bishop's tomb in Rottenburg am Neckar - particularly with regard to the rammed earth flooring used there by Lehm Ton Erde. Johannes Schellinger (Dipl.-Ing. Architect, Head of Construction Supervision, Department of Land and Building Management, Rottenburg) provided fascinating insights into the construction process during a guided tour.
In addition, Jörg Meyer, Managing Director of conluto, presented various clay building materials at a lecture evening. Lennart Sswat from Monolut GmbH taught the basics of rammed earth construction, and Melissa Acker, academic associate at the Technical University of Applied Sciences Stuttgart, spoke about the advantages of earth for participatory workshops in community-orientated projects under the title "Lehm verbindet" (earth connects).
Initial situation
The historic row of houses at Oberamteistraße 28-32 and the cellar of the “Steinerne Haus” (Stone House) on plot no. 34, which was demolished in 1972, are among the oldest and most interesting buildings in the town of Reutlingen. The architectural evidence dates back to the 12th and 13th centuries, when the former free imperial city of Reutlingen was founded. This makes the historic Oberamteistraße one of the oldest rows of half-timbered houses in southern Germany, authentically reflecting the development of building and residential culture.
The heritage-sensitive restoration includes the refurbishment of the historic buildings as well as a new construction on the site of the no longer existing corner house, “Steinerne Haus.” The new building is designed to accommodate all supporting functions and to provide structural stabilization for the row of historic houses. The historic buildings themselves serve as a museum and function as exhibits, presenting over 700 years of urban, cultural, and architectural history.
The new building is restrained in its external appearance. The internal structure consists of a timber frame that supports the adjacent row of houses and replicates the lost volume of the historic building. It incorporates the barrier-free access to the historic buildings and provides space for smaller events. The roof and façades are clad in a uniform layer of cast-glass “biberschwanz” (beaver-tail) tiles. Depending on light conditions, reflections, and interior illumination, the underlying timber structure becomes more or less visible, giving the building a translucent, shimmering effect, almost like a chimera. The newly designed shell makes the interior appear blurred, reminiscent of a long-forgotten memory. Something that persists in the recollections of those who knew the old house is made visible for future generations. The formerly prominent buildings are experienced once again in their historical ensemble, with history presented as a publicly accessible “exhibit.”
The Oberamteistraße project is funded through heritage conservation grants and the federal program “National Urban Development Projects” of the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community.
More information: www.wulfarchitekten.com/projekte/detail/show/museum-oberamteistrasse
