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!
Our research Carbon-Based Urbanism is featured by De Architect ("10 CO2-rekentools als antwoord op de MilieuPrestatie Gebouwen.") To address embodied carbon, architects take the initiative to develop their own approach to gain insight and reduce environmental impact.
Martin Sobota: "It's quickly said that something is ecological and sustainable because it's built in wood for example. What is unaddressed, is if it is built in high or in low density and what infrastructure is needed. That's why a villa in the countryside always scores a better MPG than a residential tower. We shouldn't only look at what a building emits, but focus much more on what a person who lives there emits."
From an industrial area to a mixed-use, inclusive urban neighborhood!
The new urban quarter "Leben am Sandbachpark" in Ratingen focuses on compactness, diversity and a circular economy. With green open spaces, communal use and a multimodal mobility offering, we are creating a vibrant and climate-friendly environment. Between the cultural axis with a new public transport connection in the north and the Sandbach with the prospect of a park development in the south, the area has great potential for a lively district with a wide range of open spaces and buildings and offer diverse uses that provide added value for residents, nature and the neighboring districts.
We are very happy that our design, that we developed together with urbanegestalt PartGmbB, was selected from four very good entries and are very excited to work together with Landmarken AG on the realization of our vision!
A green, climate-adapted neighborhood for Münster Hiltrup!
Our proposal for a new residential quarter in Münster, which we designed together with nsp landscape architects and ITWH hydraulic engineers, was awarded 2nd place!
Four compact neighborhoods will be created with a large contact area to the open space by green corridors in the interior (Green Delta) and attractively connected to the outside connected through a close-knit network of cycle- & footpaths.
At the heart of the design is a human-centered scale with a rural character in conjunction with an innovative climate adaptation concept and the consistent application of the sponge city principle.
The aim is to minimize the impact on the natural water balance, reduce the use of technical structures, be resilient to heavy rainfall while strengthening biodiversity, reduce heat stress and make the topic of water a liveable experience.
Dutch legislation for the environmental impact of buildings is being sharpened. The "MPG-score" (Milieu Prestatie Gebouw) of a building indicates the environmental impact of a building, to which embodied CO2-emissions contribute a large part. A shocking 49% of embodied emissions are caused by services (including PV panels). The maximum for this score will be lowered in 2025 and will be gradually lowered towards 2030 and 2035. Cityförster developed the brochure "Carbon-Based Design" that lists 17 design principles to reduce CO2-emissions of housing projects. These design principles can be applied in any project and can be used by clients, project developers, municipalities, building planners, architects and designers in tenders and architectural designs. A useful overview to always have at hand!
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!
Carbon Stories debate "Klimaatpositieve Stedenbouw", Martin Sobota On June 22nd, CITYFÖRSTER curated the Carbon Stories debate on low-carbon urbanism. Martin Sobota was a keynote speaker on this event, and called for action on carbon calculations on the neighbourhood level. As biobased and carbon-based design are gaining attention, it should not become an excuse for a carbon-emitting lifestyle. We should think further on a larger scale and integrate low-carbon housing smartly in inner city neighbourhoods and networks. Rewatch the full debate here.
The new edition of Carbon Stories is on September 21st, 19:30 Keilepand Rotterdam. This debate is a call to action for all architects to act on CO2-reduction. Register now, and see you there!
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!
Recognition at the Hessian State Award for Architecture and Urban Development!
Our project "Quartiere im Kreislauf - zwischen Taunus und Frankfurt" was awarded with a recognition in the field of "Grey Infrastructure" at the Hessian State Award for Architecture and Urban Design. We are pleased together with urbanegestalt PartGmbB and hope to be able to collectively move forward with this pioneering project.
Information about 'Quartiere im Kreislauf' and the jury's assessment can be found here
There you can also buy the Sustainability Paper in which all shortlisted projects are published.
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.
We are happy to share that together with urbanegestalt we have won the second prize in the cooperative urban design competition. The task was to transform the area in the east of Osnabrück from a former steel factory into a new, mixed-use urban development, to reopen the area to the public and to integrate it into the open-space-network while increasing the density significantly with approx. 200,000 m2.
Our concept "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 surroundings. The Magnum Mile connects the three neighbourhoods and the adjacent urban spaces to the west and east as a lively backbone of the quarter.
We congratulate Astoc and Greenbox for their winning proposal!
CITYFÖRSTERS Founding Partner Verena Brehm is discussing the foundations of a functioning urban Quarter in the latest issue of Stadtbauwelt. In the discussion round with Eva Herr, Rainer Johann and Gerko Schröder exciting impulses have emerged on the multiple perspectives of urban quarter development.
You can find the full interview in the StadtBauwelt issue 238, 13.2023 or here
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.
German Urban Design Award 2023 – Commendation Special Prize for Ecovillage Hannover
We are happy to share that the project Ecovillage got a commendation in the awarding of the special prize of the German Urban Design Award 2023!
Together with studiomauer we designed the masterplan for a neighbourhood in Hannover commissioned by ecovillage hannover eG that aims to make a strong contribution to future-oriented, climate-adapted and socially just urban development.
Based on the cooperative core values of equality, community, sustainability and diversity, around 500 apartments are being built until 2026 on five hectares of land in the Kronsberg district in the east of Hanover.
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
We are honoured to welcome the Federal Minister for Housing, Urban Development and Construction in Germany, Klara Geywitz together with Gundlach Bau und Immobilien GmbH & Co. KG in our Recyclinghaus in Hanover and discuss the future of the building industry.
"This house has a character of its own. I would move in here immediately," said the minister.
Our project "ehemaliger Güterbahnhof Köpenick" enters the final phase!
This week the public participation for our project "ehemaliger Güterbahnhof Köpenick" starts. In the past months we have been working intensively with Urbanegestalt and Buro Happold on the revision of our 1st phase design and are very happy to present the progress this week both online and analog at a citizens' workshop.
Our concept "Köpenicker Gleislandschaften" combines high residential quality in difficult locations with the highest sustainability standards and diverse open space qualities. You can view and comment on the drafts online here: https://mein.berlin.de/text/chapters/16269/
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).
Investment activities for New Istropolis have gotten the green light from the Magistrate of Bratislava. This binding approval is an important milestone in the process of receiving all the necessary permits. The technical infrastructure and transport solutions, as well as the actual buildings for housing, work and a cultural and social hall of the project's first phase are approved.
Together with KCAP, we transform the Trnavské mýto area of Bratislava by combining culture, sustainability, and technology to create a vibrant and inspiring urban space. NewIstropolis is conceived as a seamless extension, a showcase for a future-oriented city. The plan fosters the concept of a mixed-use, car-free, green creative quarter with particular attention to pedestrians and cyclists. Zooming in on the buildings of the New Istropolis, we focus on delivering energy-efficient solutions and high-quality, generous space for work and living.
We appreciate the official support in preserving the area's cultural and social function which is an integral part of the project. Developer Immocap plans to start construction in the second half of 2024.Investment activities for New Istropolis have gotten the green light from the Magistrate of Bratislava. This binding approval is an important milestone in the process of receiving all the necessary permits. The technical infrastructure and transport solutions, as well as the actual buildings for housing, work and a cultural and social hall of the project's first phase are approved.
Our design for the new district in Frankfurt North-West was named for the shortlist of the Hessian State Prize for Architecture and Urban Design in the section for blue-green infrastructures. We are very happy!
Together with urbanegestalt and on behalf of the City of Frankfurt, we developed the masterplan in 2020-21 addressing circularity on an urban scale and the landscape as the main framework of the built structure. Click here for the project The State Prize is awarded by the Hessian Ministry of Finance and the Hesse Chamber of Architects and Urban Planners. More info and a press release of the organizer can be found here.
This week, we have received a recognition for our construction design for the „Klimaquartier Schweinfurt – Einfach Bauen".
The building project was planned in consideration of climate change adaption and resilience. We have created a building which is not only sustainable in its phase of development but also when in use. Always in consideration of the construction, technology, fire protection, floor plan and open space. Therefore „einfach bauen - building simple" meant to focus on the needs of the people by creating a sustainable and social community for everyone. The measures for climate adaptation take place at the level of building construction, building technology and landscaping and are an integral part of the overarching concept "building simple".
Together with "Studiomauer" and "Planergruppe Oberhausen" we have entered the competition and got honoured for our progressive idea.
Further support we received from "Transsolar KlimaEngineering", "Drewes+Speth" and "3b Bauconsult".
MinisterievanMaak challenged 100 designers and experts to give an answer to the current housing crisis in the Netherlands. Each team has the objective to add 10.000 houses into a 2x2 km site. Together they will create 1 million houses, making it the largest maquette of the Netherlands!
The maquette will be exhibited from October 14 to November 13 during the 10th edition of the Architecture Biennale Rotterdam.
The procedure for the urban planning competition for the former Max Becker site in Cologne-Ehrenfeld, which is divided into two planning phases, started at the end of March 2022.This week we completed the second phase of the competition and, together with urbanegestalt, we were presenting our design to the public!
The 13.6-hectare 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 Co-logne 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. Building and open space typologies that characterize the location fit into a colorful mosaic and create offers for a wide variety of lifestyles and age groups. 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.
How can the open-cast mining landscape be transformed for the future?
Getting rid of fossil fuels is more urgent than ever. With the end of lignite-based power generation in the "Rheinischen Revier", the large opencast mines in the "Rheinischen Revier" are gradually being flooded or filled with soil. Every square meter of this land is valuable because it contains a lot of grey energy. The local soils are considered to be the most yielding in the world, and many livelihoods in this area depend on the agriculture.
The energy landscape "Jüchen Süd" provides an impetus for the optimal use of the scarce, precious resource soil and outlines an approach for a landscape that not only serves agriculture and energy production, but also focuses on local recreation and networking of the surrounding places.
Together with the „Zweckverband Landfolge e.V.", we develop future scenarios to inspire local actors from politics and agriculture.
How will we work and produce in an urban context? How can we deal with ecological challenges, space- and location requirements in connection with the fundamental, limited resource of land in the inner-city context? Together with nsp landscape architects and planners, we developed concrete solutions to the discourse as part of the competition "Quartier am Humboldthain" in berlin.
The design brings together existing and new buildings to form a lively, productive district with a strong "Berlin character", connects with the surrounding area in a variety of ways and reacts flexibly to future requirements. Specific focus is set on natural ventilation and local rainwater management shows itself in the form of sponge city principles.
One step in the right direction to raise awareness of local production methods, circular processes and material life cycles, as well as value chains in major cities.
We look forward to pass on the generated project know-how in the field of work that will become increasingly important in the future and congratulate Cobe Copenhagen on first place and their innovative design.
We are happy to share that we received second place in the competition for the former mining site in Ibbenbüren, Germany. Due to the withdrawal of hard coal mining in 2018, the major task of the development was to convert the underused site into a forward-oriented location with new features. The aim was to strengthen regional development while at the same time preserving and making visible the unique history.
The core area of "Tor West" (competition area) assumes the function of the main entrance for the innovation park to be newly developed in Ibbenbüren and functions as a new city entrance. A wide range of usage scenarios is made possible through the creation of a strong open space structure and the integration of monument protection and new buildings.
Congratulations to the winning team of Yellow Z Berlin and Panorama Landschaftsarchitektur for their inspiring design.
We are happy to share that we got selected in the international competition for the Mtirala National Park in Georgia.
With a great team of experts, we will now elaborate a comprehensive master plan for the development of Mountain Mtirala and Village Korolistavi, a total of 15698.8 ha. Mtirala National Park is considered one of the most important protected areas in the Autonomous Republic of Ajara, which more than 77,000 visitors visited only in 2019, but also one of the most humid areas in the country. The name Mtirala (meaning "to cry") is derived from the 4,520 millimetres (178 in) of annual rainfall, making it one of the wettest areas of the former Soviet Union.
We look forward to designing with significant responsibility to the important topic of ecotourism, the regional conditions, the great cultural and natural heritage and biodiversity, potentials for the local economy and sustainability as a key value.
#competitionwinner! "From a factory site to a green living quarter"
We are proud to announce that, together with Mosaik Architekten and nsp Landschaftsarchitekten, we prevailed in the realization competition for the development of a residential quarter on the site of the former fireclay factory in Bonn, Germany. We are very happy about the 1st prize!
The design transforms the former industrial site into a green neighbourhood with a high quality of living. In terms of granularity, scale and placement, the combination of row development and loosened-up solitary buildings fits perfectly into the urban environment and, at the same time, creates a new district centre with open spaces for communal use. The existing building can be retained and further developed by adding a story and adding balconies. All new buildings are planned as wood hybrid construction and can be recycled and later returned to the material cycle thanks to the large deconstructability.
As designers, it is important to us to plan close to the people. It is particularly nice when the exchange is as lively and inspiring as in our project on the master plan for the Hafen-Ost quarter in Flensburg, Germany. At the presentation of our draft, developed together with Urban Catalyst & R+T Verkehrsplanung, on 15.06., around 200 interested citizens came to find out more about the latest plans and to contribute comments and ideas.
In addition to a presentation by our partner Verena Brehm, the event (organized by Gruppe F and Gehl) also included many interesting conversations at the market stalls, which provided us with important aspects for further development. On the following day, we intensively discussed the current design status with numerous stakeholders at topic tables and thus gained insights for our further work. We are pleased about the numerous positive feedbacks and will now continue to develop the framework planning with renewed energy until the end of the year!
The procedure for the urban planning competition for the former Max Becker site in Cologne-Ehrenfeld, which is divided into two planning phases, started at the end of March 2022. The first processing phase of the competition has been completed. Today, together with urbanegestalt, we are presenting our design to the public! You are invited to contribute your ideas and suggestions and to discuss them directly with all planning teams and with us.
The 13.6-hectare 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 and represents a structural and programmatic caesura in the otherwise small-scale district structure of the left bank of the Rhine.
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. Building and open space typologies that characterize the location fit into a colourful mosaic and create offers for a wide variety of lifestyles and age groups. 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.
Modernizing and revitalizing real estate in the long term is a challenge when it comes to business premises. "DJH for Future", a concept for the circular renovation, modernization and financing of the Balingen-Lochen youth hostel near Stuttgart in Germany, shows how it's done. Based on this specific example, we have been developing an implementation concept for several months that combines the cycle principle in construction and building operation and makes sustainability tangible.
The special feature is the scalability of the execution plan from regional to national to international. Many of the hotel properties of the more than 400 objects of the DJH are in the process of being handed over and are striving for a new, more sustainable positioning in the hotel market to address new needs and expectations of a fresh potential customer generation. We design the necessary paradigm shift so that climate-friendly conversion and operation can not only succeed but also fulfil an educational mandate and let the hostels advance to a kind of innovation hub.
Our project is part of the CEWI project, a cross-value chain cooperation of several economy sectors, the automotive and building industry, and politics. The aim of the joint project is to use circular economy approaches to accelerate the transformation towards a climate-neutral and resource-efficient economy.
CITYFÖRSTER ranked in top ten of urban planning offices in Germany for third time in a row!
We are happy about the outcome of the yearly office ranking in Germany by Competitionline! Both, receiving 9th place in the urban planning category out of around 3.400 offices and 22nd place in the architecture category out of about 30.000 offices makes us incredibly proud.
It is nice to see how far we have come in the last 15 years and we'd like to thank every cooperation partner, client, and our team that made CITYFÖRSTER what it is today.
We look forward to talking about the future of the city at two important upcoming fairs. You can meet our founding partner Oliver Seidel on May 18th and 19th at Real Estate Arena in Hanover, Germany. (more info).
A little later, from June 1st to 3rd, our colleague Lydia Oehlwein will be at Urban Future. 22 in Helsingborg, Sweden as a #YoungLeader. (more info)
Last week, Piotr Kalbarczyk represented CITYFÖRSTER at Eurodelta 22 Symposium (Vereniging Deltametropool) in #Amsterdam, which was broadcasted via Zoom online. (more info)
We are happy to announce our nomination for the polis AWARD 2022 in the category „social district development". Ecovillage, the future-oriented urban development in Hanover, Germany, is shortlisted together with 4 other strong nominees.
The polis AWARD for urban and project development honours projects that contribute to the public well-being of a city beyond their scope. The prize assumes that project realizations that result from partnership attitudes will do justice to the complex requirements of the city of the future. It honours courage and creativity to open up new solutions.
After our success in the summer of 2021 with the "Green Zipper" concept in the invitation competition in Heidelberg for the B3 + B4 building plots in Patrick-Henry-Village (PHV), we have now been commissioned with the further master planning and a design manual for the exciting conversion project starting immediately together with Planergruppe Oberhausen! The kick-off event and site visit took place on March 23rd. and 25th.
We are pleased about the innovative development being a part of the international building exhibition in Heidelberg (IBA Heidelberg) on the topic of "science location of the future" and are excited to see when the first pioneers will settle in the PHV on construction sites B3 + B4, within the strategic masterplan of KCAP.
Synthesis scenario for Hafen-Ost decided: Hafenband +
On Tuesday, March 1, 2022, together with Urban Catalyst and R+T Verkehrsplanung, we presented the scenario "Hafenband +" for the harbour of Flensburg to the Committee on the Environment, Planning and Urban Development (SUPA). On March 15, 2022, the committee passed a resolution on the synthesis scenario, which forms the basis for the framework planning in the Hafen-Ost redevelopment area.
We look forward to further processing and the planned participation with Group F & Gehl in the summer! The project is accompanied by the Norbert Elias Center for Transformation Design & Research (NEC) at the European University of Flensburg.
We signed the Paris-proof Embodied Carbon Protocol!
We're coming closer and closer to reaching the critical 1.5 degrees limit of global warming. Therefore, instead of empty phrases, we need real commitment to reducing CO2 emissions drastically. Together with 30 other parties from the construction and real estate sector, we signed the Paris-proof Embodied Carbon Protocol by the Dutch Green Building Council (DGBC) yesterday.
We hope that, together with all co-signers, we will have an even greater impact. This is how we declare our strong will not only to share our knowledge with the general public, especially cooperation partners and clients but also to expand that knowledge even further.
"We want the built environment to drop from (almost) 40 to zero per cent CO₂ emissions very quickly. That is why we are now looking emphatically at building materials. There is a lot of climate gain to be made there," emphasizes Annemarie Van Doorn, director DGBC.
To achieve CO₂ reduction in the construction sector, many more companies and other organizations have to get involved. Will you join, too?
Attending second CEWI workshop to further deepen the ideas that have arisen, to convert them into concrete projects and in this way to decisively advance a Circular Economy!
Since last October, CITYFÖRSTER has actively participated in the CEWI project, a cross-value chain cooperation of several economy sectors, automotive and building industry, and politics. The aim of the joint project is to use circular economy approaches to accelerate the transformation towards a climate-neutral and resource-efficient economy.
CITYFÖRSTER is in charge of an architectural sustainability concept for the renovation of a youth hostel. With this particular reformation, the DJH wants to develop a master plan to create further measures for all of their youth hostels.
CEWI is carried out by Stiftung 2 °, the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy and WWF Germany and funded by the Federal Republic of Germany, funding body: Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety based on a resolution of the German Bundestag.
We are pleased to have received the preliminary building permit for the three new building plots in the Düsseldorf district of VIERZIG549, a joint venture of WOHNKOMPANIE NRW und BAUWENS Development. The design was developed as part of an urban planning competition based on the existing development plan. The winning design was created from two entries submitted to the competition to guarantee the highest possible added value for the center of the quarter VIERZIG549.
Together with Cross Architecture and KRAFT.RAUM, we are creating an attractive district center. The urban infrastructure brings together living, working and gastronomy offers as well as daily needs. In a central location, a square with a high quality of stay is created, which gives the quarter its own character.
In addition, special emphasis was placed on a high proportion of greenery. For this purpose, the footprint of the building was significantly reduced and an intensive green roof was planned. Centrally around the new high point, the green heart of the quarter flows directly into the spacious park. We look forward to further planning. A big thank you to nsp landscape architects and planners and to Drewes + Speth for the great cooperation on the competition design!
Today, we share with you the fifth episode of the Circular Building Podcast by de Circulaire Bouweconomie. Together with regular guests Marjet Rutten and Vincent Gruis, our founding partner Martin Sobota elaborates on the environmental impact of construction and the recommendations of our Carbon-Based Design report. How do we prevent a CO2 lockdown? We have several recommendations for how construction can make smarter choices to reduce material-related emissions.
Additionally, the Circular Building Podcast visited Fairm in Delft, where fungi are grown to make insulation material. Dirk van den Reek of Ballast Nedam is pondering: is he going to use this bio-based material in the prestigious Horizons project? Crossthinker Jan Willem van de Groep gives his opinion in the column.
Next to spotify and co, you can listen to the podcast here.
CITYFÖRSTER is looking for a business developer (f/m/d) for architecture, urban development and urban planning
We are looking for a talented and committed business developer with experience in a similar field for our offices in Hanover, Tirana and Rotterdam. For your workplace you can choose between Hanover, Rotterdam and / or home office.
Apply now and become part of our international team. You can find this and other job advertisements here.
How can we as architects reduce emissions right now?
Yesterday, we handed Carbon-Based Design, the result of our intensive research, to Mr Ed Nijpels, chair of the Dutch climate summit.
As the construction sector, we are currently responsible for 38 % of all greenhouse gas emissions. The problem is definitely gaining momentum in the debate; however, the focus within our professional community seems mainly to be on single methods or materials - whereas the solution lies in an integral approach.
Carbon-Based Design is this approach. With a focus on the emissions of production and construction and the ratio of operational and embedded energy, we found solutions for the way from carbon exploitation to carbon sequestration.
Finalist for the German Architecture Sustainability Award!
Together with the 2 other strong projects, Casa Rossa in Chemnitz and „Einfach Bauen" in Bad Aibling, the Recyclinghaus is a finalist of the German Architecture Sustainability Award (Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis Architektur). How can architecture convincingly express in terms of architectural and design quality whilst meeting high sustainability goals?
The prize is awarded in partnership with the German Sustainable Building Council - DGNB e.V. and with the support of the Federal Chamber of Architects, the Association of German Architects, the Federal Foundation for Building Culture and CAPAROL. We wish all nominees every success!
"The three finalists successfully address three major challenges that architecture and building practice must face today and in the future," explains DGNB President Prof. Amandus Samsøe Sattler, who chaired the jury this year.
This year's winner will be announced on December 3, 2021, as part of the German Sustainability Day in Düsseldorf.
Green Deal: Planning and Building - Shaping Change
The New European Bauhaus should take on more concrete features, but how? What role can architects play, what contributions are they already making and how are the maxims of the Green Deal implemented in practice? The Hessian Architects' Day 2021 will illuminate current events this afternoon from 2 p.m. and show exemplary contributions by internationally known representatives from the fields of architecture and urban planning.
Under the title "Green Deal: Planning and Building - Shaping Change", the experts will devote lectures and discussions to the topics of climate and resource protection, conservation and upgrading, socially responsible building through to digitization and the mobility transition.
You can find the extensive article by Jeroen Dirckx (KCAP) and our founding partner Martin Sobota about our project New Istropolis, the new cultural district in Bratislava auto-translated to English here.
For Trnavské Mýto our particular attention is on a new creative identity. The quarter will be transformed into a contemporary, car-free neighbourhood featuring a state-of-the-art concert and congress venue, a series of green and public spaces alongside places for living and working. It becomes a new centrality in Bratislava's urban system.
Envisioned is a district where art, culture, and creativity will define a unique identity and form an integral part of everyday life.
How does the city of tomorrow look like and how are politics, municipalities and future inhabitants involved in the process?
In the podcast The Mother Earth's Heroes Show our founding partner Oliver Seidel explains the complexity of urban planning, what it needs and gives an idea about CITYFÖRSTER's approach and our work.
The Mother Earth's Heroes Show shines a light on the thought-leader and influencers designing companies, products and systems that promote positive change to create a healthy planet and society as a whole. What does the ideal city need? From innovative mobility concepts to strong public spaces; you can listen to Oli's answers here.
Last week marked the kick-off for our new project Framework plan Harbor-East in Flensburg, Germany. In the city, close to the Danish border, 55 ha of land located next to the water will be transformed with the model of sufficiency-oriented urban development as a guiding principle.
More information about our new concept, that we will develop cooperatively with Gruppe F, Gehl - Cities for People, Urban Catalyst Berlin and R+T Verkehrsplanung coming soon!
Not long after the message, that we won the competition for the Patrick Henry Village in Heidelberg, Germany, we received the news that we are runner-up at the competition for the Klimaquartier (Climate quarter) in Schweinfurt. We are happy about the good valuation of our design, which is a result of our way of thinking and can be described with the words sufficient, diverse, circular and climate-positive. We congratulate the winning team Baumschlager Eberle Architekten, SCHIRMER Architekten und Stadtplaner and PLANSTATT SENNER Landschaftsarchitektur, are excited to see further developments and are very interested in the future of the quarter and the green belt in Schweinfurt.
We are happy about the selection of our design „GREEN ZIPPER" for the Patrick Henry Village in Heidelberg (Germany). Together with Planergruppe Oberhausen (Hannover), we prevailed against five well-known teams with a concept that transforms the former mono-functional military barracks into a multifunctional and identity-creating living environment. How can the existing structure be rebuilt and supplemented so that it can become a revitalized urban space? Our design lets the landscape create the city and uses it as a „green zipper", creating a generous connecting space for the inhabitants.
We are looking for young talents and experienced specialists to strengthen our team in Hanover (GER) and Rotterdam (NL) in the fields of competition, design, implementation planning, project management and business development.
We attach particular importance to interdisciplinary work, flat hierarchies and teamwork and always keep our maxim "creating better places." In mind.
Our Recyclinghaus wins the Innovationspreis2021 powered by BFW Landesverband Nord. The fact that our Recyclinghaus in Hanover, Germany was named the winner in the "Sustainability" category, especially because it received a 2/3 majority by the public, makes us proud and shows that we are on the right track. And of course, we'd like to thank all the partners involved who worked with us to make this unique project possible.
You can find more insights about the Recyclinghaus in several great articles: „Nachhaltiger geht es kaum" by Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung Blog post by just authentic GmbH for Bricks Don't Lie And our website
'Blankenburger Süden, Berlin' wins the Merit Award at the World Landscape Architecture Awards 2021, in the category Conceptual – Analysis & Planning.
Blankenburger Süden, a cooperation with Felixx Landscape Architects & Planners, is designated as one of the largest expansion sites for the city of Berlin, covering an area of 150ha and providing up to 6000 new affordable and healthy homes for the people of Berlin. We designed the spatial framework for this area; a circular organization of four new residential areas where the landscape shapes the city.
We thank the team of CITYFÖRSTER and Felixx Landscape for their great work! You can find more information here.
Design of New Istropolis in Bratislava is progressing
Together with KCAP, we enter a new phase of designing the new cultural district for Bratislava, Slovakia with particular attention to a new creative identity. The quarter will be transformed into a contemporary, car-free neighbourhood featuring a state-of-the-art concert and congress venue, a series of green and public spaces alongside places for living and working. It becomes a new centrality in Bratislava's urban system.
Envisioned is a district where art, culture, and creativity will define a unique identity and form an integral part of everyday life. We conceived the 97.000 m² development as a seamless extension of the city, an open 'living room' for all citizens of Bratislava, well connected to the neighbourhood.
CITYFÖRSTER ranked 7th place of urban planning offices in Germany!
We are happy about the outcome of the yearly office ranking in Germany by Competitionline!
Both, receiving 7th place in the Urban planning category out of 3.600 offices and 17th place in the Architecture category out of 32.000 offices makes us incredibly proud.
It is nice to see how far we have come in the last 15 years and we'd like to thank every cooperation partner, client, and of course our team that made CITYFÖRSTER what it is today.
You can find the full ranking here: https://lnkd.in/gYzTvGW
As a part of the exhibition "The Circular Economy" our two projects Lune Delta°/Bremerhaven and Recycling House/Hannover will be exhibited at Haus der Architektur in Graz, Austria from 14.04.2021 - 04.07.2021.
The exhibition at the HDA presents studies and practical examples of architectures, conversions, and system cycles that are characterized by their high design quality as well as their impressive genesis of reused material resources.
You can find more information about the exhibition here.
Our ecovillage published in latest issue of Polis Magazine
We are happy to share this article about us and our masterplan and building design for the ecovillage in Hanover, Germany that you can find in the current issue of polis Magazin.
„SUFFICIENCY AS A STATEMENT - In Hanover, construction of the ecovillage designed by the architectural offices Cityförster and Studiomauer will begin this year, the completion of which is planned for 2026. The vision: Contribute less to climate change, more to the solution. As a result, following the principle of sufficiency, the residential project is being created on five hectares that are dedicated to the communal way of life in the form of open spaces. (...)"
For more information please visit the polis website.
CITYFÖRSTER and FELIXX awarded third prize at the international competition in Duisburg!
In cooperation with the Dutch landscape architects Felixx, we created a design for the site of the old freight yard in Duisburg. Various concepts liberate the area from its island location and integrate the important Loveparade memorial into the quarter. Almost 14 hectares of open space for a better climate, clean air, water management, biodiversity as well as sport, recreation, and community round off the design.
We are very thankful for the high amounts of votes and the acceptance and support we received from the people of Duisburg!
CITYFÖRSTER awarded third place at the Wasserstadt Limmer competition!
In cooperation with the landscape architects Planergruppe Oberhausen and Drewes + Speth (engineers), we created a design for the client JAWA (Jung und Alt am Wasser). The identity-giving neighborhood does justice to the self-set goals of a socially and ecologically sustainable urban development. The ensemble fits into the Wasserstadt Limmer (Germany) in terms of urban planning and design and at the same time enables diverse individual living and community wishes.
The maximum utilization of the available building volume guarantees an economic venture and reduces the to-be-allocated community costs. As a result, more apartments are being built for people who can participate in and contribute to the JAWA community.
Appointment of Verena Brehm to the Akademie für Städtebau und Landesplanung e.V. (DASL)
Our founding partner Verena Brehm was appointed to the DASL at the academy meeting this September. The Akademie für Städtebau und Landesplanung e.V. (German Academy for Urban Development and Regional Planning) is an association of experts who have made special achievements in the fields of urban development and regional planning or the associated research and practical planning. The DASL aims to promote urban development and regional planning in science and practice and is limited to 400 members according to the statutes. The election to the academy is for life.
Here you can find more information about Verena Brehm and here about DASL.
Recycling house receives recognition at the prize for wood construction Niedersachsen!
Our recycling house, which has already won several awards, has received recognition at the prize for wood construction Niedersachsen. The experimental house was built from used, recycled, and recyclable components in an eco-friendly way of construction. Circular economy and the reusability of building materials are also current topics in wood construction.
More information about the project is available here, news about the prize for wood construction Niedersachsen here.
Competition won for city expansion in Frankfurt am Main!
We are pleased about the selection of our design for the planned district in Frankfurt Northwest (Germany). Together with Urbane Gestalt (Cologne), we prevailed against six well-known teams with a concept that combines urban growth with the establishment of cycles. The new quarters are being built on compact areas, creating a generous connecting space. The northwest of the planned area remains completely undeveloped. That way, the Taunus foreland becomes a co-productive park for all Frankfurt residents.
CITYFÖRSTER awarded second place at the Kronsrode competition!
In cooperation with the landscape architects Planergruppe Oberhausen, a design for 108 residential units in multi-story apartment construction was created for one of the last building lots in the new district Kronsrode / Kronsberg Süd in Hanover, Germany.
The created city block, consisting of 6 residential units and 12 terraced houses, is divided by two incisions that open up to the public street space, whilst creating a spacious inner courtyard. A special feature is the shared "green center" consisting of a children's playground, a place to sit and celebrate, and a community garden in which the residents can grow vegetables, herbs, and berries.
The jury particularly praised the clarity of the design and the bright, friendly, harmonious overall effect. More information about the project is available here.
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.
Together with studiomauer we celebrate the 1st prize at the international competition for the ecovillage in Hanover. Fortunately, our design not only convinced the jury of experts, but also 70% of the future residents! With the development of the ecovillage in Hanover there is a great chance to make an important contribution to future-oriented urban development. Based on the cooperative core values of equality, community, sustainability and diversity, approx. 500 apartments will be built by 2026.
3rd prize for 'Hortus Conclusus', Finanzamt Wuppertal
We are proud to announce that our design for the extension of the Finanzamt Wuppertal, developed in collaboration with Joost Emmerik garden design and research, was awarded the third prize. The jury praised the structural solutions, the high quality of the proposed open spaces both inside the building and in the courtyard, but also the lightness, the clarity and the modern language of the architecture
Our proposal, entitled 'Hortus Conclusus', combines a clear and precise architectural extension with a green inner courtyard in its heart. The outer skin is defined by vertical and horizontal V-shaped terrazzo elements in a green shade, a playful nod to the colour of the famous 'Schwebebahn' which runs adjacent to the building.
Our recycling house has been nominated and awarded with numerous awards. Together with our clients from Gundlach, we are happy about the great recognition. Among other, we received nominations for the Federal Ecodesign Award, the DAM Award 2021, and were proposed for submission for the EUMiesAward. Additionally, we were also shortlisted for the Lower Saxony State Prize for Architecture. We also received the "Special Sustainability Award" at the German Facade Award 2020 as well as a recognition from the BUNDESPREIS UMWELT UND BAUEN, which was awarded by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU).
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!
CITYFÖRSTER, BUROMOSA and LOLA Landscape Architects among the finalists for the design of the New Tirana City Hall
CITYFÖRSTER and BUROMOSA, together with LOLA Landscape Architects, are among the finalists for the design of the New Tirana City Hall. The international team is completed by Transsolar as sustainability and alternative energy specialist, imagine structure as civil engineer, GAD as cost manager and quantity surveyor, and Elian Stefa as cultural heritage expert.
Designing the New City Hall is the occasion to re-shape a home for the current and future communities, representing the values of the people of Tirana. In addition to the jury evaluation, there is also a public vote, help us win by voting on competitions.tirana.al
CITYFÖRSTER and KCAP design new cultural building and district for Bratislava, Slovakia
CITYFÖRSTER and KCAP design a new cultural district for Bratislava, Slovakia. Trnavské mýto will house a state-of-the-art concert and congress venue and the area will be transformed into a modern open neighbourhood including a series of green and public areas.
Immocap, the owner of Istropolis and the adjacent land, has today presented its vision of New Istropolis, developed in cooperation with KCAP and CITYFÖRSTER. The project aims to bring Bratislava a world-class multifunctional cultural and social centre with top-level architecture, creating a long deserved cultural landmark for the Slovakian capital.
Inspired by a momentum for timber construction, and by an announcement from the German government to set a price for CO2 emissions, we started to think and calculate what effect this could have on the construction sector. Question arose: how much CO2 does a square meter of concrete produce? How much CO2 does a square meter of timber capture? Does this mean that we'll have to pay to build in concrete, and that we could receive money for building in timber? Questions that made our clients listen attentively; however, also questions without easy answers, that needed further research – research which we're happy to pursue, with thanks to the above-mentioned Funds, but also with help from third parties from relevant fields.
Can you help us with this research? Can you help us sharpen our hypothesis, do you want share your knowledge or know where we can find additional funding? Then please reach out to us through carbonbaseddesign#AT#cityfoerster#PUNKT#net, we're happy to hear from you!
Lower Saxonian State Prize for Architecture 2020: Recycling House shortlisted!
Hanover: on June 17th, the State Prize Jury evaluated the 71 applications submitted for the topic "Living - future-oriented, climate-friendly!" Under the chairmanship of the Augsburg architect Titus Bernhard, the jury agreed on twelve objects for the shortlist. The recycling house made it into the next round! In the next step, the projects are inspected on site in order to determine nominations and finally to select the winning project.
Runner-up in the competition for 'Poolplatz', Merzenich
How can public space and urban design open up new perspectives for town and villages in transition? Merzenich, a small town close to Hambach - one of the last and largest surface mines of Europe - is deeply affected by the Energy Transition. Icw RWE, 12 offices were invited to develop a strategy for re-valuation of Poolplatz and its surroundings, a former town square that has served as a parking for the past decades. While we didn't win the competition, the Jury speaks highly about the distinct programmatic additions and the skillful spatial organization of what they expect to be a lively space with a strong identity anchored in the evocative history of the place.
Congratulations to the winners LILL + SPARLA with Stefan Schmitz, Cologne and fellow runner-ups LAND and luchterhand!
Project in collaboration with Simone de Bergh and Laura-Kristine Bergman of Mareld Landscape
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.
Our proposal for the Buchholzer Green was awarded first prize in 2018. The multi-storey residential building marks the start of the new quarter and offers an exciting mix of apartments. The shell and facades have already been completed.
Annually, the renowned German Architectural platform Competitionline publishes its ranking of most successful offices, based on the number of won competitions and tenders. We're proud to announce that CITYFÖRSTER is steadily working it's way up and has reached the sixth position in the category urban planning, after our 11th position last year!
Many thanks to our great team! We're proud that our often challenging and stubborn proposals are gaining traction and look forward to creating better places with our valued clients!
"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.
We are happy to have been awarded the commission for the master plan after our success in the competition Bergviertel-Krampnitz, Potsdam in summer 2019, and are currently getting down to work. The kick-off event for the project took place on 16.03.2020.
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).
NTV has broadcast a report about the Recycling House on the 11th of February, 18:35: Guide to Building and Living: Everything has been there before - the Recycling House
This Tuesday, our project Embassy Residences was awarded the SHARE Future Projects Awards in Tirana. The jury appreciated the sustainable character of the project, as well as its' architectural merits.
Delivery of the project is scheduled for the end of this year, more information can be found on the project page.
The corks were popping, the „Weißbier" flowing, breakfast in blue and white! We're proud that, together with freiwurf LA and urbanegestalt, we have reached the 2nd place in the urbanistic competition in the north-east of Munich. The design, which is strongly influenced by the landscape, cautiously extends the outskirts of the city and plays with the contrasts of old and new. Dense, urban and mixed centres are created along existing infrastructures. A sustainable city of short distances, with car-free zones, diverse neighborhoods and diverse green areas.
Our urban design for the mountain quarter in Krampnitz, Potsdam, prevailed against the competition and now we celebrate our success! Shaped by the landscape, a green quarter is being created, which is characterized by the interplay of small-scale and varied density as well as disperse private and public open spaces. The historical structure provides the location with its basic order. Variously combined new forms of living with a strong reference to open space react to the diversified housing needs of the 21st century.
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.
During the Dutch Design Week CITYFÖRSTER took part in the BPDlab#4 design challenge, and collaborated with Fien Dekker of Rainaway on the "Smart Rainbarrel XXL 3.0 Deluxe" - an integrated system to (re)use rainwater within buildings and simultaneously create awareness. We would like to thank BPD for their invitation, and are proud to present the final results here!
Work in progress: Chalimbana Local Government Training Institute
Our masterplan for the Chalimbana Local Government Training Institute, Zambia is making good progress, with the students' and lecturers' houses almost finished and the education buildings going the same way. More recent site pictures can be found on the project page.
At this year's Expo Real, the Lune Delta industrial estate was awarded the German Sustainable Building Council's (DGNB) pre-certificate with the highest award level (platinum) for its sustainable development planning.
In line with the Cradle to Cradle philosophy, the Lune Delta forms an economic structure that brings design, ecological and social added value even after the end of its useful life.
CITYFÖRSTER and KCAP win international competition in Bratislava, Slovakia
Rotterdam, 25 September 2019 - CITYFÖRSTER, in collaboration with KCAP, has won the competition to design a new cultural district for Bratislava. The ambitious project includes a state-of-the-art concert and congress venue which will become a new landmark for the city
"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.
We are pleased about a recognition at the competition Water town Limmer, awarded by the Wasserstadt Limmer Projektentwicklung Gmbh and the Landeshauptstadt Hannover.
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.
We are pleased about the successful completion of the design workshop for the further development of the federal district in Bonn: Our masterplan was selected as winner of the cooperative procedure with four participating teams! Here is the press release of the city of Bonn.
1.+2. prize for the competition Buchholzer Grün in Hanover
As part of the invited Buchholzer Grün competition, CITYFÖRSTER was awarded first prize for three residential buildings and second prize for a chain of row houses.
We now look forward to contributing to the future development of the former site of the Oststadt Hospital in Hanover Buchholz.
1st prize in the competition "New District Freiburg / Dietenbach" – currently one of the largest urban developments in Germany
CITYFÖRSTER architecture + urbanism and FELIXX Landscape Architects & Planners, supported by freiwurf LA and R+T Traffic Planning, are selected for the development of Dietenbach, a new urban district of Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany. This new district is located at the edge of the city center, covering an area of 100ha, supposed to house up to 14.000 inhabitants in 5.500 new dwellings. Out of 28 high-profile international teams, 4 teams are selected and commissioned to elaborate their plans.
Lune Delta° - sustainable industrial park for the city of Bremerhaven.
The city of Bremerhaven has selected our concept "Lune Delta° - designed as closed-loop cycles" as the winner from a cooperative workshop process!
The Lune Delta° is a sustainable industrial park developed by taking into account the Cradle to Cradle philosophy. Thus, the project is pointing the way into a future for sustainable and interconnected economic structures. Our concept is strongly influenced by the landscape and emphasizes a divers and cycle-oriented industrial park, that operates communicatively and cooperatively. Together with urbanegestalt and Transsolar we are very pleased about the great cooperation with the city of Bremerhaven and the growing interest in such novel concepts and planning approaches.
We are very pleased about the BDA award "max45 - Young Architects" that we receiced for our project Residential Crown - a prototype of settlement 2.0.
Recently we had the chance to stress our motivation, the role of planning processes and why we think settlement 2.0 is a major potential for our contemporary citites in the interview with Benedikt Kraft that was published in Deutsche BauZeitschrift. The interview outlines the Residential Crown as an inspiring and adaptable concept that fosters mixed use cities and its consideration in urban developmend processes.
We look forward to the successful building application and the start of construction of the "Open Space" with Tim Mohr
The multifunctional event location allows a variety of different uses. It is the new center of the PlatzProjekt at Lindener Hafen, an experimental startup container village. The construction process takes place according to the DIY principle, mostly in own contribution. For the construction mainly reycled materials are used.
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.
"New in the club" appointment of Arne Hansen to the Association of German Architects
We are very pleased with the appointment of Arne Hansen to the Association of German Architects. Together with 10 more "newcomers", he will present himself and his architectural position at the Pecha-Kucha evening on 30 June 2017 in Münster. The Pecha Kucha evening will be the start of the 13th BDA meeting, which will take place on Saturday and Sunday, July 1 and 2, 2017, under the slogan "The city I need - the city I love" with lectures , discussions and walks as well as the award of the Grand BDA Prize 2017 to the Swiss architect Peter Zumthor.
BDA Award for the Residential Crown - an experimental housing project for level of settlement 2.0
Cityförster wins BDA Award max45 - Young Architects in Lower Saxony for the Residential Crown - an experimental housing project for level of settlement 2.0. As an extension of the car park the project densifies the city centre with penthouses in a first class location and enhances the commercial district of Hanover with additional functions. This transformation of the car park that was in need of redevelopment increases the resilience of the property for the future and provides new apartments without sealing additional surfaces. On Architecture Day on June 25, 2017 the Residential Crown we invite you to visit the Residential Crown on Windmühlenstraße in Hanover.
Cityförster as a member of the transdisciplinary team "Water Hannover" with the Chinese Academy for Urban Planning and Design (CAUPD) wins one of the three first competition prizes for the new government district of the Chinese capital Beijing. The new government district in Tongzhou will be built in course of Beijing's fusion with the cities of Tianjin and Hebei.
Together with KuiperCompagnons, KLA kipar Landschaftsarchitekten and the University of Hamburg, CITYFÖRSTER has designed a future image for the brown coal mining area of Garzweiler. "New energy" is landscape in motion and deliberately focuses on a development process that begins in the here and now. The open-cast mine is no longer intended to occupy the space monofunctionally, but rather to develop the landscape in every phase through spatial and temporal projects: Europe's largest park surrounds the Tagebaurand as a framework for a new settlements, landscapes and commercial developments in the post-mining-phase. The results will be published in February 2017. More information here.
The project "Cape Square" in Dürres by CITYFÖRSTER and BOOM has been selected as one of 17 peojects for the Dutch Yearbook on Urban Design and Landscape Architecture 2016. The book wll be launched on the 26th of November in s'Hertogenbosch. More information here.
The housing project "FOUR" of Gundlach GmbH & Co. KG was awarded the Gold Award in the category "Residential" in the FIABCI Prix d'Excellence International as an exemplary neighborhood development. The competition of the "International Real Estate Federation" (FIABCI) in co-operation with the Federal Association of the Free Housing Company (BFW) is regarded as the "Oscars of the property world". The jury was impressed by the various residential styles combined with a very high degree of sustainability. CITYFÖRSTER has designed three of the eight residential buildings together with gruppeOMP.
Together with experts from marketing, tourism and agriculture, CITYFÖRSTER recently concluded a research into the potential links between these sectors and identified a number of business cases for local entrepreneurs and opportunities for international companies with a focus on sustainable products and services. The team had conducted an exploratory mission to understand and map out spatial potentials and urgencies along the Albanian Coast as a basis for a large scale development concept as well as small scale design measurements for certain business cases. The research was commissioned by the Dutch embassy in Tirana and has been presented to Albanian authorities and stakeholders in October. The online publication is available now.
Yueyang, China: The better the water the better the city!
As part of the interdisciplinary team "Water Hannover" Cityförster designs an integrated plan to improve water quality and, consequently, the quality of life in the city of Yueyang. The measures range from the new conception of the sewer network, multi-coded wetlands to a climate-friendly restructuring of the existing city. The plan follows the guiding principle to improve the water quality and at the same time to increase the quality of life in the city. The aim is to restrain or to store water where it is produced, to dispense water gradually to the environment through seepage and evaporation and to clarify water ecologically. Thus open spaces within the city are revalued, biodiversity is increased and the microclimate is improved. As part of this adaptation the potential of Nanhu, a freshwater lake, is being expanded and the lake becomes the center of the city.
Together with Keferstein+Sabljo Architekten we are happy about the second prize in the non-open competition for 70 Apartments in Hannover-Bothfeld.
The jury says: The design varies in interesting ways a perimeter block with finely tuned proportions. The opening with a semi-public space and the adjusting common functions are welcoming and foster communication and interaction... The generous access balconies offer private niches as well as common openings, which, depending on the season, extend the apartments and become vivid meeting points. Two open spaces with very different qualities are generated – semi-public and sheltered.
Berlin Award 2016, Heimat in der Fremde. Nomination
With their project "Refuge and Encounter in Laer" CITYFÖRSTER and Mark Niehüser are nominated for the Berlin Award 2016 - Heimat in der Fremde. The award ceremony takes place in the former airport Tempelhof. As part of the Refugee Housing Database, the project will also be shown in the German Pavilion at the 15th Venice Architecture Biennale.
Exhibition: 06/15/2016 – 06/28/2016 Alte Zollgarage im Flughafen Tempelhof Columbiadamm 10, Gebäude D2, 12101 Berlin
Architecture Biennale: 05/28 – 11/27/2016 German Pavilion
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
2nd prize. Competition for the District School Altona, Hamburg
We are pleased to win the 2nd prize in the competition for the District School Altona in Hamburg together with our cooperation partners of bof architects.
2nd prize. International competition Primary and Comprehensive School Helios, Cologne
We are happy to receive the 2nd prize in the non-open design competition for Primary and Comprehensive School Helios in Cologne Ehrenfeld as a result of a successful cooperation with bof architects and urbane gestalt landscape architects. The jury especially appreciated "the optimal implementation of educational objectives in the design".
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
The Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama visited the construction site of Cape Square in Durrës today. The Design Concept for the square and artificial pier are the result of a collaboration with BOOM landscape in Amsterdam.
AiR Foundation Rotterdam made a nice little feature about us. Get an impression of our Rotterdam office and hear Martin explain Cityförster's philosophy and projects. (in Dutch!) See the feature here
The project Family Villa has been awarded by the Savings Bank Foundation with an award for heritage conservation – we are happy for the owners and residents!
The Lower Saxony Savings Bank Foundation awards the Price for Conservation 2014 for the 15th time. The prize is worth 75.000€. This year, 17 monuments are awarded a prize, in total 60 owners had applied: "The Price for Conservation honors the private commitment that owners apply for the preservation of historic monuments. The winning monument owners are noteworthy examples. They impress with extraordinary personal commitment, exemplary restoration and development of remarkable concepts of use, "said Michael Heinrich Schormann, Deputy Managing Director of the Lower Saxony Savings Bank Foundation.
CITYFÖRSTER wins the 3rd prize in the two-phase open competition „Mehrzweckhalle Mastbrook" in Rendsburg, Germany. The community center combined with sports hall is characterized by a compact building envelope with an economic footprint. The building attains efficiency by layering functions and multiple-shift usage. The Jury compliments the multifarious open public space and the skillful structured proportions of the building volume as well as its good energy balance.
Feasibility study "Cradle-to-Cradle Industrial Parks"
The city of Bielefeld is a partner of the INTERREG IVB project "Cradle to Cradle Business Innovation & Improvement Zones. C2C-BIZZ". The aim of the project is to promote the development of industrial parks according to the Cradle to Cradle philosophy in Europe. The concept Cradle to Cradle is based upon Prof. Dr. Michael Braungart's idea of a circular economy in which resources are not consumed but are continually used. The city of Bielefeld explores together with ten European project partners how this concept can be transferred to the development of industrial parks. In this context CITYFÖRSTER and landscape architects Urbane Gestalt are commissioned with a feasibility study, which focuses on the development of C2C principles in the areas of buildings, open space and infrastructure. Consultants are Transsolar KlimaEngineering and the material experts of imagine envelope.
In order to optimize our website and to be able to continuously improve it, we use cookies
By continuing to use the website, you agree to the use of cookies. Further information.