LIFT – Laboratory for Integrated Façade Technology

Modern building façades are composed of materials, components, and connections that must perform with precision in every detail. They fulfill numerous technical and building physics functions, while increasingly integrating additional systems: photovoltaic and solar thermal modules, heating and cooling systems, energy and water storage systems, greening systems and sound-absorbing façades.

The increased development and application of industrially prefabricated, large-format building systems, especially for building façades, is considered an effective step towards manageable complexity, improved quality and productivity. Such approaches enable modular construction and serial building renovation, while also accommodating architectural, urban planning, construction, and sociocultural requirements. The development of these technically advanced building systems - whether at the product or project level - requires state-of-the-art facilities for analysis, optimization, testing and evaluation.

With the Laboratory for Integrated Façade Technology (LIFT), Fraunhofer IBP provides the ideal environment for all building physics research and development tasks. The focus is on diverse, multidisciplinary, experimental investigations of façades and component systems, which can be carried out efficiently on the same façade testbed.

• Air and driving rain tightness
• Resistance to wind loads and deflections
• Light transmission and radiation behavior
• Hygrothermal performance in energy-efficient constructions (thermal insulation layers and thermal bridges)
• Water absorption and release behavior of façades surfaces
• Functionality of façades with integrated greening
• Energy-generating systems (PV modules, solar thermal collectors)
• Analysis of building physics performance of modular coupling areas
• Joint and connection detailing
• Sound insulation properties of façades, such as direct sound insulation (against external noise), sound absorption for exterior noise reduction, flanking transmission of airborne and impact sound between rooms, vibration and noise generation in façade elements due to wind, rain, or integrated building systems (e.g., HVAC)
• Acoustic testing under simultaneous hygrothermal loads, e.g., façade exposure to rainfall or solar radiation.