In the pursuit of sufficiency, embracing a lifestyle within planetary boundaries means finding balance — having enough without excess and respecting, rather than exploiting, our environment. But what does this look like in urban planning? How can we design neighborhoods where sustainable choices are easy?
As part of KeileCollectief, Cityförster Rotterdam explored the history of Dutch building culture, analyzed its current state, and envisioned future scenarios. These efforts culminated in our exhibition: "How do we want to build M4H in 2030?"
Our ongoing research, Carbon-Based Urbanism, examined four historical typologies from Rotterdam, placing them in a national-historical context that includes economic trends, regulations, and socio-political developments. This approach offers a multi-layered perspective on the relationships between urban planning, lifestyle, and our ecological footprint.
The Merwe-Vierhavens (M4H) area in Rotterdam is transforming into a dynamic live/work district with circularity at its core. To realize this vision, we must collectively answer the question: how do we want to build?
Date: June 15, 2024 – September 15, 2024 (closed from July 14, 2024 – August 20, 2024)
Opening hours: Wednesday-Saturday from 12:00 to 17:00. Visits outside opening hours are possible by appointment at keilecollectief@gmail.com.
Location: Keilezaal, Keilestraat 7-9, 3029 BP Rotterdam
Revitalizing and future-proofing the city centre of Papendrecht
In collaboration with our partner BLOC and local key stakeholders, we are developing a future-proof Centervision for the municipality of Papendrecht, The Netherlands. Our goal is to create a concept for a spatial upgrade of the center, integrating local and regional coalitions. As a vital hub for retail, public services, and housing, the center presents a wide range of opportunities as well as challenges. As the area develops, numerous activities and interests need to be addressed integrally: from urban planning to mobility, from economic growth to resilience. The centre is not only the municipality's economic engine, but also a lively place in the middle of the dynamic Drechtsteden where people live, work and relax.
The vision aims for a robust and attractive city centre that is ready for tomorrow's challenges. We do that by focusing on six main topics: urban planning, housing, economy, mobility, environment and energy transition. In our methodology we use a stake-holder focused approach: by means of co-creation with all the involved parties including Papendrecht's citizens, we assure to make the city future-proof and position the centre appropriately.
We are very happy to have been commissioned with the development planning for the Weststadt in Cologne!
Together with our long-standing team partners from Urban Catalyst GmbH, SHP Ingenieure and Buro Happold, we will navigate the development of this location - characterized by fractures and dynamics - in the upcoming years.
Cologne's Weststadt district is undergoing an ongoing transformation process and offers development potential that you would not expect in this inner-city location. The conversion of the Max Becker site by PANDION AG together with CITYFÖRSTER is just one of many major projects in the area.
Over the next two and a half years, we will be working closely with the municipality of Cologne to find out how we can make this district future-proof. The goal is to allow the development of something new while at the same time preserving and strengthening the qualities of what already exists.
In addition to integrated urban planning and strategic spatial development, the topics of mobility, building with existing, the circular city and the implementation of the sponge city will play a major role - a huge task that we are very much looking forward to!
Last but not least, we are looking forward to working with local residents, the administration, politicians and various stakeholders!
We are excited to share that we got a start subsidy from Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie! We will use this fund to develop our research proposal on low-carbon neighbourhoods and lifestyles. Current calculations and legislation are limited to CO2-emissions of the building. Other parts of the living environment are excluded. But what about emissions from mobility, consumption patterns and diets? We want to investigate how a carbon-based design of the neighbourhood can have a positive impact on low-carbon lifestyles.
This research is a continuation of Carbon Based Design – Steps to Zero. Have a look on our website for more information. Want to collaborate? We are looking for partners and experts who want to contribute to this topic. Feel free to reach out!
Lecture „Recyclinghaus Hannover", Fachkongress Holzbau, Prof. Dr. Verena Brehm
As part of the 5th Wood Construction Congress in Hessen, Prof. Dr. Verena Brehm will give a presentation on the possibilities of recycling-friendly construction with wood and recycled components based on the "Recyclinghaus Hannover" project. The congress is organised by the cluster initiative pro holzbau hessen and is aimed at architects, structural and urban planners, students, the timber industry and the trades.
Selected for the Integrated Urban and Tourism Development Project in Albania!
Exciting news! CITYFÖRSTER, in collaboration with SRP Schneider & Partner & SRP Albania, has been selected as the Consultant team for the development of incredible tourism experiences in southern Albania! This project is part the Integrated Urban and Tourism Development Project (PIUTD), financed by the World Bank and the Albanian Government, with a strong commitment to boost Albania's competitiveness and foster sustainable economic growth through top-notch tourism.
Our mission? To revamp urban infrastructure, elevate tourism gems, and bolster the local economic pulse in the breathtaking southern regions of Albania. The spotlight will shine on four vibrant urban hubs: Berat, Gjirokastra, Përmet, and Saranda. Stay tuned!
The winning team for the masterplan design, which includes a new interpretative center and museum at the Great Zimbabwe World Heritage Site in Zimbabwe, is CITYFÖRSTER & Pantic Architects!
Great Zimbabwe, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and national monument, has been described as "one of the most dramatic architectural landscapes in Sub-Saharan Africa."
We are excited to design with great responsibility towards the crucial theme of the site's outstanding cultural, spiritual, and natural herritage, regional conditions, while supporting the development of ecotourism with sustainability as a key value.
Stay tuned for the site visit & workshop!
Rehabilitation and development of the Great Zimbabwe World Heritage Site Project is supported by UNOPS Zimbabwe.
Lecture | Conference ETH Zurich "Tacit knowledge in Architecture
At the conference "Tacit knowledge in Architecture" at ETH Zurich on Tuesday, June 20, 2023, Verena Brehm will speak about guiding principles in design and present the exhibition object "City As Forest" by CITYFÖRSTER. The three-day international conference with an accompanying exhibition "Unspoken Knowledge | Le (savoir) non-dit" marks the conclusion of the four-year research project "Communities of Tacit Knowledge: Architecture and its Ways of Knowing," which explored the generation, application, and transmission of tacit knowledge in design and its significance in architectural culture.
Our design proposal for the 4th Quadrant of Victory Square International Architectural Competition!
Together with Perspektiv, we have submitted our final proposal as one of five teams (out of 44) to advance to the second phase of the 4th Quadrant of Victory Square International Architectural Competition in Prague!
What did we focus on for our proposal?
-Complete Engel's generous vision for Victory Square, considering the new needs of the city. -Create a new urban block with high quality public space. -Design architecture that brings new opportunities for living, working, learning and culture, for the local community and visitors. -Design an efficient and sustainable structure with a quality material solution that will stand the test of time and solve the climate problems of the current city.
As part of the public consultation, you are welcome to check out our proposal and leave your comments in the link below: https://lnkd.in/e2JUevTi
Lecture "Stadtteil der Quartiere", 20th docomomo Conference, Frankfurt a.M.
The annual conference of Docomomo Germany will be organized in 2023 in cooperation with the ernst-may-gesellschaft, the German Architecture Museum (DAM) and the City of Frankfurt. In the session "Future Housing", Prof. Dr. Verena Brehm will present the urban design for the „district of the quarters" in Frankfurt Northwest.
The conference will take place from 27.-30.4.23 in Frankfurt a.M. (Paulskirche, Stadthaus).
We are pleased about the selection of our design "Ströme + Furten" for the framework planning of the Pforzheimer Oststadt (Germany). Together with Freiwurf LA, we prevailed against well-known competition and are now starting the second phase, in which an urban-open-space framework plan is to be worked out and district concepts for sub-areas are to be created. At the beginning of this phase, citizens and the public are also invited to participate. For this purpose, an exhibition with our winning design was opened by mayor Sibylle Schüssler and jury member professor Uta Stock-Gruber on the ground floor of the town hall pavilion on the market square.
Last weekend saw the final presentation of the designs for "Blankenburger Süden" - a new mixed-use city quarter for ca. 10.000 inhabitants in the North of Berlin. Cityfoerster and Felixx cooperated on a masterplan that puts the landscape first, and that is based on the concept of a "Circular City". Our design of the green-blue framework manages rainwater, enhances the biodiversity, produces food, fosters diverse leisure and health activities, and connects the existing neighbourhoods of Blankenburg and Heinersdorf with the new neighbourhoods. All buildings have strong connections with the open spaces and are designed to offer a variety of housing types. We invented a new building type, the so-called CYC-Hub, that not only hosts the technical infrastructure (energy, water) of a circular neighbourhood, but also facilities for local food production, a mobility hub and several educational and neighbourly institutions. We are happy that our design has been selected for further examination in the planning process!
What could the new district of the quarters in the northwest of Frankfurt look like? As one of seven planning teams, we are commissioned to prepare studies on urban and landscape development. The first concepts for the development of the new district of the quarters are now available.
"Communities of Tacit Knowledge: Architecture and its Ways of Knowing"
We are part of the European research project „Communities of Tacit Knowledge: Architecture and its Ways of Knowing" undertaken by 10 universities, 9 architectural offices and 3 cultural institutions, and led by the ETH Zürich. Kick-off was on 9.03.-12.03.2020 in Delft / Rotterdam.
We were selected to take part in the design process for a new district for Frankfurt-Nordwest (30.000 inhabitants), as one of seven interdisciplinary teams, cooperation with our colleagues from urbanegestalt.
The ArchitekturClub in Kiel has launched a series called "Positions for climate-friendly architecture in cities and the countryside" in 2020, which was opened by Nils Nolting from Cityförster Hanover with a reflection on a number of our office projects based on the BDA report "Haus der Erde" (House of the Earth).
What does the city of tomorrow look like? Smart, green and a colourful mix of culture, encounters and daily needs? Car-free, but with perfectly developed public transport? High quality of living with retail spaces as social meeting places? Verena Brehm from our office in Hanover will speak at the Reboot Conference on the subject of "Making the City Better" - about examples of successful urban utopias.
"The construction industry is booming. But it consumes huge amounts of raw materials. At the same time, half of all waste in Germany comes from the construction sector. Most of it ends up shredded in road construction. Does that have to be the case? "Re:" goes on a treasure hunt for raw materials in the city - with lateral thinkers who turn old rubble into new houses."
Re: Sustainable Building - How to turn debris into raw materials 26. September at 19:40 on arte and in the arte Mediathek.
Cityfoerster creates urban planning concept for Düsseldorf
After a EU-wide, two-tired competition, we look forward to be a part of the Raumwerk D - Team in cooperation with „urbanegestalt" and „SHP Ingenieure". Under the direction of the coordination office „Urbanista", three further planning teams ["berchtholdkrass space & options" | "must" | "Reicher Haase Assoziierte"] produce designs for the future urban-spatial development of Düsseldorf.
At the annual general meeting of the Association of German Architects (BDA) Lower Saxony Regional Association on 9 May 2019, the members elected their managing state board. They confirmed Matthias Rüger with a large majority. The assembly elected Tim Grimme/K17 Steingräber.Architektur from Uslar as his deputy and the two new board members Petra Zymara/Zymara Loitzenbauer Giesecke Architekten BDA Partnerschaft mbB and Arne Hansen/Cityförster.
14th BDA Partner Day at Bauhaus Dessau: Lecture Recyclinghaus
The 14th BDA Partner Day on April 5, 2019, is to take up the 100-year tradition of the Bauhaus and link it with the current challenges of climate change. We are pleased to contribute to this discourse with a keynote speech on our Project Recyclinghaus.
Appointment of Verena Brehm to the Baukollegium Berlin
The Baukollegium Berlin was initiated in 2008 by the Senate Building Director Regula Lüscher. It advises district administrators and investors on the quality of design of significant projects. The Baukollegium is organized by the Senate and consists of six experts from the fields of architecture, urban design and landscape architecture: Dr. Verena Brehm (architect and urban designer, Hanover), Prof. Kees Christiaanse (architect and urban designer, Rotterdam), Andreas Garkisch (architect and urban designer, Munich), Prof. Regine Keller (landscape architect and urban planner, Munich), Jórunn Ragnarsdóttir, (architect, Stuttgart) and Prof. Ansgar Schulz (architect, Leipzig). In addition to the concrete recommendations concerning issues of architecture, landscape architecture and urban design, the fundamental improvement of the communication culture between the planning actors in Berlin represents an important task for the Baukollegium.
The series "architecture talks" by the regional Chamber of Architects Baden-Wuerttemberg focuses on "work and process". Throughout the event, the speakers will not only present their own work, but exchange ideas and express thoughts and questions about the other participant´s position. Cityförster is invited to discuss with Angela Fritsch, architect from Seeheim-Jugenheim, about the own work, working processes and methods.
Architecture Talks 2016, "work and process" June 9th 2016, 7- 9.30 pm "Haus der Architekten", Danneckerstraße 54, Stuttgart Moderation: Christian Holl, journalist, Stuttgart
As part of the UN Habitat Urban Labs team working on Gaza, Palestine, CITYFÖRSTER will present the preliminary findings at an event, organised by the Dutch Creative Industries Fund, bringing together five different cases across the world that are currently under development as part of a New Strategy of UN Habitats Urban Planning and Design Lab. The event will take place in the Università Ca' Foscari di Venezia on May 27th. If you are interested to participate, please let us know. Participation is by invitation only.
We would like to thank Heiko Heybey and team for their idea: Why not surf Hanover's river Leine? Their sound concept has convinced stakeholders from politics and administration of the feasibility of the wave. Cityförster activley supports the project: Surfing in Hanover's old town – that's how it could look like:
We are happy about the opening of our new office location in the west of the Hanseatic city of Hamburg - just a few minutes' walk from the station in Altona!
A great start for the new location was the 2nd prize in the international competition "Primary and Comprehensive School Helios" in Cologne in cooperation with bof architects and urbane gestalt landscape architects, which was decided the end of June 2015. Another 2nd prize followed right after in the architectural design competition "District School Altona, Hamburg" as the result of a successful team work with bof architects.
We look forward to new contacts, projects and cooperation in northern Germany and would like to welcome you at
The massive need for living space in many big cities today is a chance to forge a new era of housing by creating new qualities. The URBAN LIVING exhibition presents ideas and best practice examples for new, affordable living typologies, vibrant neighborhoods and a resilient urban development. The exhibition shows strategies that improve urban life while strengthening specific characteristics of individual neighborhoods. Projects from the international URBAN LIVING workshop and from the SELF-MADE CITY publication are presented. We are happy to announce, that our project VACANT SITES OVER THE ROOFTOPS OF THE CITY is part of the exhibition.
URBAN LIVING - Strategies for the future Vernissage: 21.5.2015, 7.00 p.m. Exhibition: 22.5. - 4.7.2015, wed - sun 2.00 - 7.00 pm DAZ, Köpenicker Straße 48/49, 10179 Berlin
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