Foto Credits: Saskia Buch
Soft Shade
Name(s) of graduate(s):Freia Antonia Weiß
2026
Instagram
Description
Urban space today is mostly designed as a pure transit zone – dominated by materials such as concrete, metal, and glass, which lack quality of stay. This deficit is exacerbated by climate change, which heats up cities so intensely in summer that staying for longer periods is hardly possible anymore. Soft Shade is a textile shading system that protects against heat and at the same time actively cools. Inspired by the structure of a deciduous leaf, it absorbs water and releases it again as evaporative cooling. In this way, Soft Shade not only brings shade and cooling, but also a new, tactile materiality into urban space.
Freia Antonia Weiß
2026
Description
Urban space today is mostly designed as a pure transit zone – dominated by materials such as concrete, metal, and glass, which lack quality of stay. This deficit is exacerbated by climate change, which heats up cities so intensely in summer that staying for longer periods is hardly possible anymore. Soft Shade is a textile shading system that protects against heat and at the same time actively cools. Inspired by the structure of a deciduous leaf, it absorbs water and releases it again as evaporative cooling. In this way, Soft Shade not only brings shade and cooling, but also a new, tactile materiality into urban space.
Link to Video