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Hof – Floating islands on campus? What may look like an art installation at first glance is, in fact, an innovative contribution to sustainable urban development. As part of the “AquaTex” project, students at Hof University have developed two planted floating islands that can purify water using specialized textiles—one of which is already visibly floating in the university’s stormwater retention basin.
In just ten weeks, nine bachelor’s and master’s students brought their ideas to life. The project’s goal: to combine plants, textiles, and technology in order to advance so-called “blue-green infrastructure”—natural elements within urban environments such as parks, green roofs, or rainwater reservoirs that serve functional purposes while also enhancing quality of life.
Filtering rainwater, growing useful plants
The project was supervised by Dr. Harvey Harbach from the Institute for Sustainable Water Systems (inwa) at Hof University. His research group has been developing floating islands for years—ones that do more than just look pretty:
“Our aim is to design stormwater retention basins that not only store water but also purify it—and even support the growth of plants for food or animal feed production,” Harbach explains.
To achieve this, the students used a special textile capable of filtering water and reducing pollution levels. They grew watercress from seed, tested materials in the lab, developed floating structures using 3D printing, and trialed their constructions in real water conditions. The project was supported by university technicians, the cutting-edge facilities in the MakerSpace—the campus workshop for innovators and developers—as well as laboratories at the Münchberg campus.
Teamwork meets inventive spirit
The project was carried out as part of the courses “Managing Project Teams” and “Project Management Basics” at Hof University, and was organized into three teams: plant systems, textile components, and floating bodies. Each team began with independent research. During the design phase, ideas were consolidated, critically evaluated, and merged. In the practical phase, it quickly became clear: theory is one thing—but how does a 3D-printed element actually behave in water? Which textile meets the requirements in terms of permeability, stability, and environmental impact? And how stable is a planted floating island really?
“We learned that successful teamwork doesn’t mean doing everything together—it means coming together at the right time with good coordination,” says project lead Aleka Briese.
Dr. Harbach is also pleased with the students’ success:
“I’m impressed by the skills and knowledge our students bring to their studies—and how they continue to develop them through projects like this. This is exactly what we need in real-world applications.”
The second, smaller floating island is currently undergoing further testing in the lab—with the goal of eventually being used in other cities as well.
Dr. Harvey Harbach
Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften Hof
Forschungsgruppe Ressourceneffiziente Lebensmittelproduktion (ReLe)
Alfons-Goppel-Platz 1
95028 Hof
T +49 9281 409-4591
harvey.harbach[at]hof-university.de
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