The complex nature of architecture requires often planning teams with specialists from multiple disciplines. Architectural education however, addresses this interdisciplinary modus operandi rarely. This paper presents the design and production process of a real world solar façade installation realized at the University of Kassel to illustrating the potentials of such an approach. Interdisciplinary teamwork allowed students not only to solve complex problems, but also to produce knowledge and to advance into design research. Student exploration resulted in a unique fabrication technique, combining tensile fabric and resin to facilitate the fabrication of multifunctional, monocoque shells; combining all necessary technical components in a single building element. This paper discusses the success of student collaboration and teaching strategies for key parts of the design process at different scales. Moreover, it highlights the importance of physical form-finding models and an analogue -digital workflow for collaborative communication. The Free Skin project offers both insight into applied use of interdisciplinary teamwork, and a proposal for incorporating such collaboration into architectural education.

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