The Horb campus of the Cooperative State University of Stuttgart is located at the Florianstrasse, east of the town centre and in close proximity to the banks of the Neckar river. To the north-east the area borders on car park of the university, and the fairground of Horb. The choice to position the new building at the north west of the plot allows for different future developments of the site.

At the heart of the new building are the engine test stands for research and teaching. In an open space layout, the operator rooms and the vehicle measuring and testing lab are arranged around it. The lab serves for the set-up of engines, but it can also be used flexibly as workshop, or as class room. According to the requirements, the building envelope has been divided into two parts. The thermal enclosure with a highly insulated façade is restricted to the cubature around the test stands and the testing laboratory. All service areas outside, such as storage, installations (also on the roof), and the external staircase are wrapped into a second building skin of expanded metal. (Photographs: Henning Koepke, München)