ul class="overview_list " id="projectList">

  • Waldstadt Jüchen

    From an Mining Hole to climate-positiv urban destrict

    The Jüchen South urban planning competition deals with a largely unanswered question: How do we want to deal with the post-mining landscape? And in particular: What does a settlement look like that is built on such an area? Do we leave it at the legally stipulated reclamation and pursue settlement development on a greenfield site? Or do we try to live up to the responsibility that comes with urban development and use the opportunity to make a fresh start, to make amends and to mitigate the damage done to the landscape and the global climate?

    Our contribution formulates a district as a symbol of this new beginning and an exemplary path for the future. It is based on the circular bioeconomy as an innovative economic model. Based on circular principels, the concept focuses on the sustainable value creation of local resources, especially soil, and thus creates the basis for an attractive and healthy living environment. The concept envisages laying the foundation for a new cultural landscape in Jüchen - the Jüchener Stadtwald - on the artificially created landscape area of the former open-cast mine. This forest forms the landscape architectural foundation for the settlement development, has top priority as an efficient ecosystem, is the basis of a sustainable healing process and a central element of the circular economy. It stores CO2, provides climate-positive building materials and food, produces energy, functions as a sponge forest and retention area, protects against noise, wind and dust and offers diverse leisure and local recreational functions. The urban forest in its various typologies forms the economic, urban structural and identity-creating basis of the new urban district.

    Idea
    2023
    Jüchen, Rheinisches Revier
    Germany

  • Bremen Könecke Areal

    Hemelingen on the move - A new urban neighborhood Könecke-Areal

    The revitalization and reintegration of inner-city industrial areas is one of the most important planning tasks of the day. These areas are usually excellently developed in terms of infrastructure, which supports sustainable development, and can save a lot of gray energy. Complex ownership, emission sources and soil contamination are challenges that require innovative, robust and flexible urban planning concepts. The design takes advantage of the unique opportunity to free the area from its infrastructural island location in order to reconnect the districts of Hastedt, Seebaldsbrück and Hemelingen by building an urban bridge. Together with the southern (former) Coca-Cola site, which was part of a former urban design process, it forms the new center of Hemelingen.
    The vacated areas will provide what the district needs now and, in the future, - that is an affordable and diverse housing mix, adaptable spaces for working, learning, leisure and culture, but above all it is urgently needed public green space. The new neighborhood park forms the green heart of the entire district and creates a strong address to the future premium bike route that will connect the neighborhood with the center of Bremen.

    Idea
    2023
    Bremen

  • Ludwigsfeld München

    Like a coat, the development wraps itself around the greened-out Ludwigsfeld estate. It does this conceivably loosely and discreetly over open spaces. The dissolution of grains and densities of use is small-scale in relation to the existing buildings and protects them from noise at the edges.

    The concept proposes four different urban building blocks to complement the Ludwigsfeld settlement: green residential courtyards, active neighborhood houses, a cautious addition to the existing buildings, and flexible neighborhood garages.
    Through compact and green residential courtyards with a diverse appearance, a variance in the number of stories and vertical greening, the targeted density is achieved with high residential and open space quality. In relation to the existing buildings, the residential courtyards dissolve into an open development, which also adapts in terms of the number of stories and mediates via community gardens.
    Four neighborhood houses at a central location in the neighborhood link the living with base areas for supply, social facilities and community uses. As project building sites, special forms of housing can be implemented here in alternative development models. Through a striking design and the active ground floor areas, they are crystallization points in the public space.

    The design supports the goal of a sustainable and CO2-neutral neighborhood development. The infrastructures required for the planned energy concept are integrated into the urban design and areas for energy generation are demonstrated accordingly.

    Idea
    2023
    Ludwigsfeld, München

  • Parkway Heidelberg

    „Think about people first, then about traffic routes. A good city is like a good party. People stay there longer than necessary because they feel good." This quote from Danish urban planner Jan Gehl sums up our planning understanding of the Parkway well.

    The Parkway is a place that is finely networked, that relates building and open space uses in a variety of ways, and that actively supports climate resilience. A green and diverse space that constantly links the opposites of MOBILITY and DISTURBANCE. Due to the valuable and spatially defining existing trees in the Patrick Henry Village as a starting point, the route was designed in such a way that as many woody plants as possible are preserved. Rainwater is stored in swales, infiltration trenches and rain gardens as a valuable resource, benefiting plants and groundwater. The paved areas are reduced to a minimum and designed as light-coloured surfaces.

    The paving material is a newly developed and market-introduced climate stone which absorbs rainfall and can evaporate as much water as a meadow surface (50% instead of 11% to 18% as with conventional paving stones).
    The Parkway fulfils the function of a linear park with a high quality of open space, encounter and stay, serves as an inner and outer distributor for the Patrick Henry Village and provides a safe framework for a broad variety of urban mobility types.

    completed
    2023
    Heidelberg

  • MAGNUM-Areal Osnabrück

    The Magnum site's DNA of industrial heritage and landscape succession forms the starting point for the transformation into a climate resilient neighborhood. The unique character of the former steelworks is expressed spatially in the overlapping of the scales of human, machine and nature and of the atmospheres between narrow alleys and wide squares.


    This productive interplay continues to write the history of the Magnum site in constant change. Three subspaces (water courtyards, forest campus, factory cluster) derive from the site, each with its own independent profile, which form synergies with each other and with the neighborhood. The Magnum Mile connects the three subspaces as a lively backbone of the quarter and the adjacent urban spaces to the west and east.


    For the quarter, own systems for the handling of water and soil are developed. They will be used for irrigation, gray water utilization and cooling of the quarter. The goal is to minimize erosion and soil exchange. As much accumulating water as possible is to be collected, filtered and reused. To do this, it will be stored in building-integrated cisterns. Materials collected are reused as much as possible. Existing structures, such as the grove or also hall structures are integrated and the character of the open space and the building structures are developed. The transformation is designed as a gradual, learning and appreciativ process.

    completed
    2023
    Osnabrück

  • Max-Becker-Areal

    The 17,3 ha site is currently isolated from the urban space and polluted with emissions. The environment is characterized by deficits in the open space and local supply with green spaces and represents a structural and programmatic caesura in the otherwise small-scale district structure of Ehrenfeld.

    With the „Best-Of Ehrenfeld" an open quarter with a strong character is created, which combines a high urban density with open, diversely networked and richly programmed open spaces. It is a Cologne Veedel (Kölsch for „quarter") in the best sense of the word: living, working, culture and education are fused in small spaces and linked with each other over short distances. The mix of uses is derived from the urban planning concept at the construction site level. The new district is green, culturally anchored and creatively attractive.

    The urban development forms a structural and programmatic bridge between the districts of Ehrenfeld, Müngersdorf and Braunsfeld. Urban density and diversity meet a green network with a wide range of offers and possible uses.

    in progress
    2023
    Ehrenfeld, Cologne
    Germany

  • Köpenicker Gleislandschaften

    The development of the former freight station Köpenick offers a unique opportunity to create urgently needed living space and jobs in a central, well-connected location in the immediate proximity of diverse natural landscapes. The major challenge here is dealing with the noise emitted by the railroad tracks, the industrial activity, but also the new eastern ring road.

    An open space ribbon links the area with its surroundings, takes over important climatic functions and crosses the neighborhood with public open space uses. An elementary part of the band is the undeveloped area in the north-east along the tracks, which leads the forest into the quarter and is a local recreation area and important retreat for flora and fauna. Noise protection typologies oppose the noise sources in the area and form an urban noise protection. This allows for a quiet neighborhood core with quality housing, quiet open spaces, and working environments. Uses evolve from the surroundings and respond to the differentiated context. This creates new synergies and promotes a functioning neighborhood.

    The „Köpenicker Gleislandschaften" transform the former freight station into a diverse, mixed and sustainable urban quarter, creating a strong edge at exposed locations and high-quality living in the inner neighborhood.

    Idea
    2022-ol23
    Köpenick, Berlin

  • Revitalizing Peja's River-Kosovo's Green Corridor

    The entire program consists of roughly 4 components: The City Green Spine, The River Park, Natural Wetlands, and The Multi-purpose Lake.

    City Green Spine aims to provide blue-green solutions for the city of Peja surrounding the Lumbardhi river. The main feature is a green, gradually-stepped riverbank, allowing access to the river and a green space adjacent to the center of Peja.

    The River Park is the section between the city and the newly built wastewater treatment plant. More specifically, it connects with the new urban development area of Peja. The River Park has a twofold aim: (1) manage the river, and (2) provide a green, natural environment for residents and tourists.

    The Natural Wetlands is the section of the river from the wastewater treatment plant to the lake. It is an area that will be more natural than the River Park, which allows the river to move more freely.

    The Development of the Multi-purpose Lake is one of the prestige measures of the program. The current site is degraded due to illegal gravel extraction and pollution. The Multi-purpose Lake will revitalize both socio-economic and ecological values of the site, whilst attracting national and international visitors.

    Connectivity of the urban and rural landscape is essential for accessibility and use of the to-be-developed program components. Measures include hike paths and bike paths from the city centre to the Multi-Purpose Lake, via the River Park and the Natural Wetlands. Lastly, a shuttle service will be developed to ensure easy transit between the city centre and the lake.

    Idea
    2022-2023
    Peja
    Kosovo

  • Exhibition: How to build 10.000 extra houses in Arnhem

    The Dutch government aims to address housing shortages by creating 1 million extra houses by 2030. Ministerie van Maak organized an exhibition during the International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam, showcasing solutions for housing construction, energy transition, and climate change adaptation. The exhibition featured a large Dutch model designed by 100 architects and urban planners. CITYFÖRSTER was one of the selected studios to conduct research into the development of 10,000 climate-proof homes within their 2 x 2 km area.

    Our site is located in Arnhem, close to the Central Station and including a portion of the Nederrijn. The site is characterized by a large industrial area, that is divided from a residential area by a railyard leading to Central Station. The river on the other side appears as an unused potential, as well as many undefined areas, that could use more clarity and densification.


    How to add 10.000 houses in this area? Our proposal is based on two main strategies:
    Former industrial areas are the favourite location for inner city developments. The new housing developments would be realized close to existing roads and transport and urban sprawl can be prevented. We suggest smaller scale infill into industrial areas at underused spaces such as parking areas and expansion areas and to make new connections to the river's floodplains.


    The other large potential to add quality by densification is in the low-rise neighbourhoods. Built in the 60's and 70's these areas are at the end of their first lifecycle, often inhabited by empty-nesters. We can add a couple of apartment blocks, diversifying the housing stock and the existing rowhouses could easily be topped-up with an extra layer. This creates both more housing opportunities and diverse neighbourhoods and is also an investment opportunity creating wealth on a small scale.


    Both of our strategies use the 10.000 houses not as a problem that needs to be solved, but as a great opportunity to improve our existing city.

    Idea
    2022
    Arnhem
    The Netherlands

  • Wasserlagen Herne - Masterplan

    The projected population development up to 2035 also shows the trend towards a housing shortage in Herne. Despite this development, vacancies and underused space potential characterize the waterfront area. Due to the strong commercial and industrial character of the area and the dominance of large infrastructures, the existing residential areas are exposed to high levels of noise pollution. A lack of open spaces and cultural facilities, difficult permeability for pedestrians and cyclists, as well as major weaknesses in local mobility, which is too strongly oriented towards private motorized transport, exacerbate the problem of isolated residential areas and the associated social imbalance in the area. Underused areas, vacancies and wastelands lack a coherent development perspective. Added to this are the deficient conditions in the housing offer and the external influences of the climate, energy and health crises with their very own challenges. This downward spiral must be counteracted by integrated and future-oriented planning for the entire area of the water locations. The planning objectives therefore focus on a diversified range of housing with a high degree of social diversity and programmatic mix; on the integrated development of high-quality commercial areas and the harmonization of housing, work, industry, open space, leisure and transport. A multimodal, transport connection and the structural, open-space networking of the entire area are the key factors. The planning objectives therefore focus on a diversified range of housing with a high degree of social diversity and programmatic mix; on the integrated development of high-quality commercial areas and the harmonization of housing, work, industry, open space, leisure and transport. Multimodal transport connections and the structural, open space networking of the entire area play a key role. Overarching climate goals come into focus and are linked to ongoing processes such as the coal phase-out or flood and heat protection through the Emscher conversion and sponge city principles.

    completed
    2022
    Herne
    Germany