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

  • Green Zipper Heidelberg, Heidelberg

    The concept for the Patrick Henry Village in Heidelberg transforms the former mono-functional military barracks into a multifunctional and identity-creating living environment. The city is being created by the landscape and uses it as a „green zipper", creating a generous connecting space for the inhabitants.

    The design offers the potential to rearrange existing deficits in the monofunctional and structural building and open space structures of the current rows of existing houses from the 1950s, to differentiate them in their design and to program them in many ways. The result is a lively quarter for people and nature with open spaces and buildings made of wood that can be used in a variety of ways. Achieving these goals requires:

    • A differentiation of the open space framework into rooms with their own characters, functions and possible uses for different age and interest groups.

    • the creation of a diverse landscape to promote biodiversity, improve the microclimate and strengthen local material and water cycles. The two green fingers are designed extensively close to nature, have a large number of biodiversity areas, integrate the tree population and take up the existing topography. The areas are not only becoming creatively powerful elements but also serve to balance residents and residents and as a living space for animals.

    • A sensitive transformation of the building stock and urban development accentuation of the community fingers through a variety of structural additions in timber construction.

    • the establishment of open ground floors with a high degree of mixed-use along with the community fingers as well as the creation of a wide range of living space. From a daycare centre to a laundromat and neighbourhood shops for residents, there is also space for commercial use of the Fab-Lab and Maker Space, through to factories, exhibitions and events. The available living space is enriched by other, diverse forms of living (small apartments, cluster apartments, shared apartments, family apartments, old people's living, etc.). At the same time, the character of a quiet residential area at the transitions to the Green Fingers is retained.

    • the further development of the existing stock in favour of the grey energy that has already been used.

    • the focus on future-oriented mobility, ie "mobility as a service" and active locomotion. Well integrated into an environmental network of trams, shuttle buses and district garages along the parkway, low-car mobility is planned within the district, which is geared towards cyclists and those walking.

    in progress
    2021

  • Campus Delta Heilbronn, Heilbronn

    In order to bring people, ideas, opinions and uses together in a diverse way and at the same time to make an important contribution to adapting to climate change, the CampusDelta is being created as a learning landscape and a place of knowledge on the banks of the Neckar.

    The CampusDelta creates an urban structural transition between commercial and residential areas through compact building structures with clear building edges to the northern street space and an open, smaller-grained building structure to the southern riverside park. The new central campus mile connects the northern education campus, the Neckarbogen and the access road heading north to the Wohlgelegen innovation park. This urban axis functions as a superordinate networker, as a central movement and orientation zone for the campus and creates a clear address side for the buildings. Along the mile are diverse recreation zones, small and large squares, as well as the important primary functions of the campus. The characterful buildings of the campus are compact, differentiated in structure, hybrid in use, and feature striking roofscapes and green facades. Small-scale organized first floor zones and open foyers give the architectures a human scale and support the diversity of uses inside and out.

    Shaped from the landscape, the campus minimizes sealed surfaces, maximizes open space and thus biodiversity as well as near-natural water management, and relies on renewable building materials, climate-neutral energy supply and sustainable local mobility.

    Idea
    2022

  • 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

  • Drymades Promenade, Drymades

    Strolling in vivid nature!

    Located in between the high mountains and the Ionian Sea in the South of Albania, the new 2 km long Drymades promenade wants to emphasize this duality by creating an impression of being immersed in nature and the greenery while having the beach feeling at the same time. By using organic shapes instead of straight lines, we create a green boulevard with different scenarios, points of view and vibes.

    The division in different zones helps on creating diversity and reflects the varieties and characteristics the area presents. The promenade aims to be an experience in itself with more quiet and natural zones on the side and a vivid part, the hotspot area, in the middle. Here you can find an underground bar which also serves as an elevated plaza or also a pier on the water with different functions on it. The project is unified by common elements, materials and concepts along the promenade such as stone walls, sand-coloured concrete paving and cut out stone or furniture in corten steel.

    One of the key elements of the project is the planting in random dispersion. It serves as shading but also helps at shaping the promenade and giving different scenarios and points of view.

    The kiosks, which are always located in the planters, provide the necessary services needed on the promenade. While the fixed bottom part is made of stone walls, the upper part is made from wood and is thought of as a flexible element that can adapt to the different functions and needs. The biggest kiosk serves as a bar and eating place, the smaller ones as newspaper or ice cream shops, and the smallest ones as public toilets and changing rooms. The roof made of corten steel makes the structure a sustainable one. It is slightly elevated from the main structures to allow the air to pass through and cool the structure underneath. It also collects the rainwater and with the proper inclination, brings it to the planter on the back.

    under construction
    2020

  • Individuality in series

    How to allow individuality in serial pre-production with modular timber construction to respond to housing goals in a social, ecological and economic way?

    Within the framework of the competition, this question was investigated. The result: a modular and project-independent configurable floor plan system for multi-storey residential buildings in timber construction. The focus was on the possibilities of serial, cost-effective and environmentally compatible construction with high spatial quality.

    A simple basic structure forms the basis for the development of the versatile room modules. The general concept provides for a division into three spatial and functional layers, with the middle layer forming the link between the well exposed lounge layers and at the same time acting as the supplying core. To increase the flexibility, versatility and quality of the floor plan configurations, the modules are shifted in relation to each other. This creates flowing, two-sidedly lit rooms or apartments and versatile configuration options. When dimensioning the modules, requirements for accessibility, eligibility and economical logistics as well as prefabrication were taken into account, resulting in the dimensions of the room and technology module.

    The simple structure and dimensioning form the basis for the development of the room modules and the modular and expandable floor plan configurations.The floor plan types can be used equally in different building types and development forms and can be flexibly adapted to different urban contexts.Furthermore, the structure allows the adaptation to differentiated user groups -from standard apartments, to living forms such as cluster apartments as contemporary shared apartments or apartments for grandparents or teenage children.

    In order to be able to give the buildings a differentiated exterior and further increase the living quality of the apartments, the system provides for additional add-on modules. These are arranged as an additional independent layer in front of the facade and offer a wide variety of design and usage options.

    Idea
    2022

  • Water town Limmer - Individual living in a friendly, Limmerneighbourhood

    The design for the JAWA forms an identity-creating neighbourhood that does justice to the self-imposed goals of socially and ecologically sustainable urban development. In terms of urban development and design, the ensemble fits into the Wasserstadt Limmer and, at the same time, enables a wide range of individual living and community wishes.

    The ensemble is open to the public, can be used in a variety of ways and is therefore lively due to an "open space shelf" with small and large balconies, loggias, planters, etc. Individual living requirements from small apartments with and without a patio to terraced houses or spacious family apartments come together as a clear volume and are characterized by a uniform design.

    The communal inner courtyard will be greened naturally. At its heart, there are a variety of community offerings: a large courtyard terrace for parties and events, an area for urban gardening with a barbecue area and a long table for eating together. There is also a spacious play area in the northern part of the courtyard. Sustainable construction protects the resources of future generations. Both the passive house standard and the Schottenbau grid optimized for timber construction contribute to this. In addition, the compact construction volume minimizes energy consumption.

    The maximum utilization of the possible construction volume guarantees an economical undertaking and reduces the community costs to be allocated. As a result, more apartments are created for people who can participate and contribute to the JAWA building community.

    Idea
    2021

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

    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

  • Ibbenbüren Tor West, Ibbenbüren

    As the entrance to INOVA Park, „Tor West" productively brings together history and the future, offers elastic development possibilities and is supported by a robust open space structure. The central museum square offers a lively place to linger for arriving visitors, museum guests, users of the daycare center located there, and adjacent commercial workers.

    Three design guiding themes form the basis of the development concept:
    1. creation of a strong open space structure. This links the area in many cases via a robust and high-quality design with the northern Gleispark, the Osnabrücker Straße and the open cultural landscape in the south .
    2. integration of historic preservation and new buildings. With the preservation of monuments and integration of these into a clearly structured new building structure, a variety of spatial and functional relationships are created.
    3. the clearly structured commercial building areas allow the settlement of many small-scale to a few large-scale uses due to the efficient developments (delivery traffic, MIV, bicycle and pedestrian traffic) and the flexible building orientations and depths. Public generating functions are located at the entrance square and the museum.


    The open space performs important climate functions and, with its permeable structure, has good connectivity to the surrounding landscape. North-south connections support ground-level cold air flow for effective summer night cooling. A tall tree population binds fine dust, improves air quality, and provides a high level of comfort in the outdoor space.

    Idea
    2022

  • Traveller and the Olive Grove, Qeparo

    With its amazing food, its multitude of untouched nature and its rich ancient history Albania deserves a much broader public that comes to visit, than the 'off the beaten track tourist'. International tourism is a sector in constant development: More and more travellers are looking for authentic experiences which enrich them as individuals and also do something good for the country they are visiting.

    Sustainable tourism can provide these experiences through unique learning experiences directly tied to a country's people and culture. Having this in mind the Dutch Embassy supported the cooperation of Cityförster with MVO Nederland and partners, to work on an inspiring concept for sustainable tourism in Albania, combining it with agriculture. The goal was to strengthen one destination by a multi-stakeholder approach to create a better place to live and visit. After comprehensive analyses Qeparo, an old village along the coastline of Albania has been chosen as a concrete area and in March 2016 a one-week workshop consisting of field visits, interviews with local entrepreneurs and design and business planning sessions with entrepreneurs on agriculture, hospitality, tourism services, urban planning and product design was organized. It resulted in potential projects, business cases and future scenarios for Qeparo. The project is currently being prepared for follow-up, up-scaling and replication.

    You can find the online version of the report here.

    in progress
    2016

  • Buchholzer Green, Hanover

    The development of Buchholzer Grün creates a residential area in an attractive location. The five-storey and the four-storey apartment buildings in combination with ten three-storey townhouses form the northern opening of the new quatier. The three new buildings develop a powerful, own identity, which incorporate the urban connection to the surrounding city districts and the neighbouring Podbielskistraße. The rhythmization in the height development as well as the verticality through the overlapping windows and balconies in the clinker facade are central design principles. The change of material makes the entrance areas clearly recognizable and at the same time they fit into the overall structure of the facades. The result is a robust, unpretentious and solid figure. The multi-storey housing units impress with an exciting mix of tenements and condominiums in different sizes, while the townhouses offer a small type of building as well as a large one and enable parking inside the house.

     

    completed
    2019

  • Marconiplein, Rotterdam

    How to raise a dike in an innercity environment?

    Nexus, from the Latin 'nectere', means a "connection or series of connections linking two or more things". Marconiplein is, indeed, at the crossroad of different flows: not only mobility but ecology, water protection, development.

    Our vision is rooted in the understanding of this space as a complex node, where traditionally, absolute priority has been given to transport. Our proposal aims to invert the paradigm of Marconiplein as a space - a sum of several leftover spaces- defined by infrastructures, but rather, addressing high-quality public spaces first, where infrastructural strategy follows. The design of the new square will be led by the principle of unveiling. If in history, infrastructures - considered as a major source of disruption - have been buried, hidden and elevated, technological progress and accurate urban solutions, offer now the opportunity of reconnecting to infrastructures.

    Specific solutions will range from sloping squares, new vertical cross-views, increased number of entrances, fostering the square as a seamless public space, where infrastructure is no more perceived as separated from the city.

    completed
    2021

  • Build Simply, Schweinfurt

    How to build using simple means in construction, building services, fire protection, floor plan design and open space and still react to the ongoing questions of climate adjustment and resiliency?

    "Build Simply" shows answers to these questions in a 5-step strategy which we developed together with our cooperation partners on levels of structural engineering, building technology and landscape design:

    1. Simple volumes connected to an active arcade
    2. Intelligent fire protection
    3. Reduction of technology through clever construction
    4. Use of local energy resources
    5. Cradle-to-cradle/Build sorted

    On an architectural level, these principles are implemented by public and semi-public spaces aligned to the common yard, the lowest building class possible, continous floor plans for a better ventilation within each apartment and a structure allowing an effective planning with wood. Nevertheless, the main focus of the design relies on the needs of people to promote a
    communal and sustainable togetherness

    Idea
    2022

  • At the old freight yard, Duisburg

    In cooperation with the Dutch landscape architects Felixx, we created a design for the site of the old freight yard in Duisburg.

    The site is being freed from its island location and reclaimed as a piece of the city: The large Westpark acts as a magnet for all Duisburg residents and brings life to the quarter. An important component is the almost 14 hectares of open space that is used for a better climate, cleaner air, water management, biodiversity as well as sport, recreation, and community. In particular, local public transport and non-motorized traffic will be strengthened: five bridges (bike/foot) span the motorway and tracks and connect the largely car-free district with its neighborhoods.

    open space
    The Westpark is designed as a spacious landscape park and, with a size of almost 14 hectares, offers space for all Duisburgers. A 12m high wall with a tree filter shields the noise and pollutants from the motorway. Different habitats and areas of use are created from north to south: meadow park, cultural park, sports park, water park, forest park. A central axis - the mile - links the quarter with the city in the north and the park in the south. In addition, all east-west connections are linked to the mile.

    program
    The mixed-used quarter offers space for around 4,000 residents and 2,500 jobs thanks to various building types. The quiet residential areas each face the garden courtyard. In the north, there is the innovation quarter with offices, co-working, fab lab, start-up center, co-living, hotel, etc. Around the quarter square in the north, there are local suppliers, shops, cafes, market hall and market. An educational center is being built on Karl-Lehr-Straße with the "Karl 1", a house for movement + culture, as well as a library, VHS, music school, and elementary school with a daycare center at Westpark.

    Water, climate, energy
    The rainwater management works according to sponge city and cascade principles, in which rainwater is retained, temporarily stored, evaporated, and seeped away. The measures improve the microclimate (e.g. evaporative cooling, air purification), increase biodiversity, and the quality of urban space (recreational areas). Technical and near-natural measures of rainwater management are combined: These include blue-green roofs, infiltratable coverings, or various urban wetlands, i.e. retention and evaporation areas and plant-based cleaning systems. The energy system is organized on a decentralized basis and includes a heating, cooling, and electricity network, each of which is connected to the urban network. Roofs and facades are used to generate electricity and heat (photovoltaics).
    The west park is used to air-condition the quarter: Warm winds from the southwest (main wind direction) are cooled and filtered in the west park and guided into the depths of the quarter via the open east-west paths.

    Love Parade Memorial
    The Love Parade memorial is to be integrated into the quarter. A place that has its place in people's everyday life. The memorial will be part of the planned park, a place of tranquility, and will also be located in the heart of the new quarter. There is also a memorial grove between the mile and the memorial.

    We are very happy about the strong voting results of the public vote and the high level of support and acceptance from the people of Duisburg.

    Idea
    2021

  • Kenniseiland, Enschede

    DARE TO INNOVATE!

    As a part of a workshop procedure, Cityförster, together with Openfabric Landscape Architecture and Mijn WaterFabriek Systemen voor duurzam water, proposed an integral strategy for the Business & Science Park of the Kennispark in Enschede that tackles not only the challenges of extreme weather conditions but also the energy transition towards a CO2-free built environment by 2050. The concept is based on the construction of a blue buffer around the location that creates more space for rainwater, recreation and reinforces the identity of the location. Together with a network of smart rain barrels and 'The Hub' arises an inclusive system that celebrates conscious water and energy consumption within a green-blue-minded environment.

    CHALLENGES AROUND WATER MANAGEMENT
    The capacity of our current sewerage system is not designed for extreme downpours. If there is an overload, in a mixed system, the untreated wastewater is dumped into the surface water together with rainwater. That is why it is better to retain the rainwater locally. By temporarily retaining rainwater locally, damage can be limited. The peak of the discharge of rainwater towards the sewer is shifted in this way: the rainwater only flows slowly towards the sewer pipe when it is empty again. Rainwater can be retained by constructing wadis, ditches, above-ground water buffers, green roofs, rainwater ponds, underground storage facilities, water squares, or rainwater use installations. Where soil conditions allow, the rainwater can also be infiltrated directly by softening and greening as much as possible. However, to limit damage during heavy cloudbursts, this must always be combined with other water-retaining facilities, especially in places where infiltration is not possible due to high groundwater levels.

    On average, we use almost 135 liters of drinking water per day. Most of the drinking water is used for showering, flushing the toilet, and washing machines. Drinking is really just a little bit. A family pays an average of almost € 750 for the water supply: 30% of this is for the supply of drinking water, 26% for the sewage charge, and 44% for the purification and water system charges. Instead of disposing of clean rainwater with the sewer, you can also store and use it. Rainwater that falls on roofs is relatively clean. You can use it for the washing machine or the toilet, but also to water the garden. This way, it does not immediately disappear into the sewage system and it also saves drinking water. Furthermore, the consumption of water could be reduced by raised awareness among the citizens and businesses. It is also important to improve the efficiency use by e.g. installing water-saving showers and toilets. Greywater treated in wetland or through filters could also be reused.

    You can find a link to a reader (Dutch) with all the results of the workshop here.

    completed

  • Government district Peking, Peking

    Better Water - Better City!

    Together with Wasser Hannover and the Chinese Academy for Urban Planning and Design (CAUPD) we have won one of three initial competitions for the new seat of government of the Chinese capital Beijing. As part of the planned amalgamation of Beijing with the cities of Tianjin and Hebei, the new government district will emerge in Tongzhou. The landscape-planning-based competition entry includes the integration of a holistic water and open-space system. The new government district's unique design features and identity were created based on its ecological and technical needs.

    Through the merging of Beijing with the cities of Tianjin and Hebei, China's new megacity of Jing-Jin-Ji will emerge, with 130 million inhabitants. To relieve the Beijing city core, this project involves moving the government district from the historical city centre to Tongzhou. The competition entry comprised the planning of a 600-hectare open space to complement the existing urban development masterplan. The varied open spaces will be used for sport, culture, commerce, and education, whereby the identity of each space will be considerably shaped by the proposed water concept.

    The proposal for a holistic water system fits into and improves the existing urban-development masterplan, and also considerably helps shape the natural and urban environment that was decisive for winning first place. In keeping with the slogan 'better water – better city', the specially developed sponge-city measures from flood protection to rainwater management all the way to blue-green infrastructure are integrated into the city. The ecologically and technically necessary rainwater canals, for example, are generally not run underground, but instead staged as a special city landscape element and made into an ecologically valuable identifying feature of the services, retail and residential quarters. In this way, different subspaces can be developed and special programs and functions can be offered through water design that will characterize the liveliness and atmosphere of the future government district.

    The combination of innovative water-cleaning technologies with a resource-saving grey-water use concept makes for a convincing overall design. We developed the required technical water-treatment facilities into an attractive place with character.

    Idea
    2017