• 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
  • Poolplatz Merzenich, Merzenich

    The redesign of the pool area in Merzenich offers the chance to regain an important old square, especially the get-together, to create new structures for Merzenich. The aim is to bring back the spirit of activity, work and togetherness and the collective benefit of the square with our design. Primarily, we clean up and structure the space. Parking is pushed aside and broken up into small pieces. The centre of the square is levelled and therefore multiplying the possible uses.

    The central element is an egg-shaped water feature in front of the healthcare courtyard that feeds from a large cistern under the square. Here, excess rainwater from the surrounding buildings can be collected and stored on stormy days to create a supply for possible dry weather periods.

    The tree line traces the old building line and gives the urban layout more body. Finally, on the surrounding plots, a production, a healthcare, and a recreation courtyard are created with urban massing, providing space (structures) for a variety of uses. Housing is added everywhere to set free the pool area's full potential of becoming a busy and innovative hub where young and old can live and work together, be taught and learn, and where you can relax and celebrate.

    Idea
    2020
  • Mühlenleine, Hannover

    A river in the middle of Hannover's city center holds the potential to be an inviting, green place where city dwellers enjoy spending time. Currently, valuable areas along the Leine's shores between the river and the Cityring are neglected and underused.

    In pre-industrial times, the Leine and its tributaries were among the river systems in northern Germany which had the highest quantity of salmon. During industrialization and the resulting pollution of the water bodies many fish species have disappeared. The reduction of the fish stock is linked for example due to the construction of hydroelectric power plants and dams, and the large-scale river development carried out in the 20th century.

    Numerous projects since the 1970s have restored and improved the water quality and the ecological connectivity. The renaturation of rivers is an important contribution to a resource-efficient and ecological city.

    In the confined spaces of a city, a particularly large number of different demands are placed on water bodies. However, numerous potentials along the Leine remain unused in the inner city. Further, the canalization and urbanization of the stream only allows to a limited extend the return of flora and fauna to the city. Renaturalised rivers in the city can help to cushion the effects of climatic changes. For example, riparian areas can be integrated into flood protection by retaining the water during periods of extreme rainfall. In addition, the design addresses urban planning goals, such as making the river shores more attractive and easily accessible for the citizens.

    Since the Leine is an urban river, it ought to be addressed both in ecological as well as in social terms. Various interventions along the riverbank serve to revitalize and enhance the quality of life. The key part of the project are the renaturation of shore opposite to the "Hohes Ufer", the reduction of the cityring and the fish ladder. In these areas, new habitats for flora and fauna are created along with new places and functions for recreation. The fish ladder close to the Friederiken Bridge, will enable the connectivity and improvement of existing habitats and it will increase the visibility of the Leine in the city as a unique selling point.

    The concept for the renaturation of the Leine was presented on the 29the of September 2022 with the Leinewelle e.V. and Angler Association and published in the Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung (HAZ), among others.

    Idea
    2022
  • Revitalizing Guitanghe, Changsha

    The river Guitanghe in its current state holds complex problems for the urban development of Changsha. In the future, it is to be identified as a central and living lifeline in the city and its ecological, urban, social and cultural significance will be considerably increased.


    Based on a flood problem and different water levels of the Guitanghe, dynamic urban development is created that considers water as a variable in dimensioning and programming of spaces. In this urban experimental field, innovative economic and urban development concepts intermesh. Changsha, a growing city, gets an ambitious, positive and future-oriented perspective.


    The river is going to play a major role as the central and linear centre of the city and, in addition to water management measures, offers the opportunity to make urban improvements and to connect Changsha via green and blue veins emanating from the river, both within the city and outwards. The Guitanghe will work as a green lung and strengthen the urban ecosystem as well as it will provide the city of Changsha with a new identity through local recreation areas and social and cultural infrastructure.

    completed
    2019
  • Racecourse For Future, Bremen

    How can the area of the former racecourse in the east of Bremen be used as a local recreation area for all citizens of Bremen that, in addition to providing important ecosystem services, continues to allow space for experimentation and the unexpected?

    The racetrack oval becomes a continuous green ring that leads through the different areas. The outer edge is the most precisely formulated in terms of landscape design and the most regulated in terms of operation. It functions as a perceptible spatial framework and as a clear threshold between inside and outside. In addition, two circular paths provide the overarching connectivity here. The openness of the racecourse center is preserved and staged. It remains open for dynamic changes and is a valuable property that has to be negotiated continuously. Sub-areas are characterized in a variety of ways and occupied by different clusters of use. Individual utilization modules profit from the spatial proximity to each other and can form synergies. The central connecting path is supplemented by a network of secondary footpaths and trails. It runs through the different areas of use of the park and enables a direct and intuitive passage through the area.
    The project showcase building at the entrance to the area serves as a hub for networking local actors and sees itself as an open start-up center where new ideas and impulses for the racecourse area are continuously generated.

    The concept preserves and further develops existing landscape and utilization structures. It avoids deconstruction and adds new layers to the site - structurally, functionally, and ecologically.

    Idea
    2022
  • Sponge City Hefei: Five landscapes - one park., Hefei/Anhui

    When a park becomes an adventure.

    Building on the master plan for the Sponge City Hefei, we next looked at one of its four large parks. The resulting profile should serve as a sample plan for the remaining zones.

    In the centre of the park, which is divided into five different areas, is the river, which is integrated as a characteristic element of the Sponge City and is of central importance. It acts as a catch basin for precipitation and floods of all kinds and thus contributes to sustainable urban development.

    Depending on the weather and the season, the park looks different and seems to be reinventing itself again and again. If the water coming from both sides of the city causes the river to swell, the park becomes, for example, standing water.

    The many plants and trees that form an entire forest in some areas are a central element of the park itself. In some parts, like the eco shore, the existing vegetation is even integrated and made tangible. In addition to the resulting shade donating places and high natural biodiversity, there is another climate-active aspect: The trees store the water at night, which they release into the air in droplets during the day, thereby helping to lower the temperature.

    While on the one hand areas are designed for meetings and events with large sunroofs for a market, for example, there are several leisure options along the spacious boulevard of the urban waterfront. There happen to be boat moorings, an amphitheatre in the water, a variety of cafes, or a specially planned swimming pool. The wetland, however, represents a completely different type of landscape design. In addition to areas with retention basins that function in a similar way, the water slowly seeps away, thereby relieving the sewage system.

    In order to make the use of a bicycle instead of the car more palatable, a cycle expressway from north to south was planned and cross-paths ensure that the eastern and western residential areas are connected.

    The variety of designed different areas answers every aspect and every question that public space can fulfil.

    For more information, we highly recommend our video about the project on CFTV.

    in progress
  • Unusual living KIDS, Bremen

    In Germany, 90% of all children live in cities - 60% in large and medium-sized cities alone.

    The concept study takes this as an opportunity to redesign the existing housing estate on Bürgermeister-Reuter-Straße in Bremen Vahr according to the principles of a child-friendly city. The settlement shows various potentials in open space as well as in the building stock. In addition to the location on Lake Vahr, the rich tree population and the generous open spaces, the sealed parking spaces, the repetitive, underused open spaces, and the missing center pose challenges.

    In phase 0, a footbridge will be built that connects the neighborhoods with each other and interweaves the settlement with the network of paths in the area. It creates a center for the entire quarter, creates an address on Kurt-Schumacher-Allee, invites you to the quarter, and leads to the water. This is where people play, romp, rest, chat, celebrate, cook - a meeting point and link between the neighborhoods.

    The redensification strategy is subordinate to the maintenance of the valuable tree population and is divided into measures of upgrading, increasing, and adding. New forms of living promote the social mix in the neighborhood and enable new, diverse family structures and forms of living together in the long term.

    A central neighborhood garage on the main street, supplemented with decentralized mobile stations, enables a car-free neighborhood - this increases security, which at the same time brings more space to play on the street.

    The open space is made usable in the form of private gardens, neighborhood islands, playgrounds, and the "children's wilderness". The footbridge offers various areas of play - also for informal play and nature experiences.

    In the climate-neutral quarter, the roofs are activated as blue-green solar roofs. The rainwater is collected, stored, and evaporated. Biodiversity is promoted and made visible through bee pastures, hedges, and orchards. The footbridge leads as a research path through the future-oriented quarter. There, children can play close to nature and explore relationships between themselves and their environment. Sustainable use of resources can be learned in childhood.

    Idea
    2020