The recyclinghouse is an experimental residential building in the Hanover district of Kronsberg. It is a prototype that tests the possibilities and potentials of various types of recycling in the real laboratory and shows a cycle-oriented and resource-saving planning approach.

On the one hand, the recycling center relies on recyclable building products, such as the raw construction made of glue-free solid wood elements. On the other hand, recycled materials such as the foundation made of recycled concrete or wall insulations made from old jute bags are used. There are also large quantities of used components being used which, if possible, originate from the building stock of the client GUNDLACH or have been obtained locally. Particularly important is a recycling-fair design that allows the use and disassembly of the components without loss of quality or a sorted separation of the materials after the end of life.

The construction industry is one of the largest waste producers and consumers of resources and a significant contributor to global CO2 emissions. When planning buildings, today it is mainly the energy consumption in the operation of a building that is considered. The considerable amounts of "gray energy" involved in the production of buildings remain largely unconsidered. Here, the existing building stock can also be understood as huge raw material storage. The recycling of building materials and materials as well as recycling-friendly construction methods will play an increasingly important role in the future.

Seelhorst is a 1960s linear housing estate on the outskirts of Hanover. The residential ensemble developed by Gundlach comprises 130 apartments in 11 buildings and is characterised by a woodland-like atmosphere, which is currently disrupted by sealed parking areas and garage structures. The project aims to energetically modernise the existing buildings, create additional housing and at the same time preserve the green identity of the neighbourhood. Cost-efficient, climate-friendly measures secure long-term affordable housing and counteract gentrification. Implementation takes place in phases while the buildings remain occupied.

Densification is achieved through vertical extension. The existing settlement and building typology, generous green spaces and the characteristic tree stock are preserved. Previously unused attic spaces are dismantled and replaced by shallow-pitched, asymmetrical gable roofs. The extension integrates seamlessly into the existing building structure and, together with the refurbished façades, forms a coherent new architectural unit. The overall urban appearance is maintained.

The buildings are extended by one additional storey using fast, low-noise timber construction, creating 50 to 60 new apartments. Structural loads are transferred into the existing building framework, avoiding major interventions in the original structure. The new roof surfaces are largely covered with photovoltaic modules. A prefabricated balcony structure extends the living spaces and significantly improves the quality of the existing apartments. The façades are upgraded with biogenic cellulose blow-in insulation, while the balcony structures are designed as steel constructions.

Overall energy demand is significantly reduced. Space heating is provided by air-to-water heat pumps, while domestic hot water is supplied via electric instantaneous water heaters.

The new apartments introduce a diverse housing mix and respond to demographic change. In parallel, open spaces are upgraded and a future-oriented mobility concept is integrated. Existing trees are preserved, sealed surfaces are removed, and additional planting improves the microclimate, stormwater retention and biodiversity.

The project PELIKAN MIX4 is characterized by a variety of dwelling types according to urban lifestyles. Within an urban master plan four distinctive characteristics are developed:
A landscape tableau is the connecting element, forming an entrée for the private, semi-public and public spaces. Generous lobbies in each house compose a discrete identity and a space of encounters. A great flexibility in the floor plans allows a variety of different apartments in size and type. According to society demands, the types "wellness", "sustainable", "extravagant" and "comfortable" are developed. They differ in constellation of rooms, material, building equipment and the offer of outdoor spaces. So called "Glorietten" crown the buildings and optimize light, spatial peculiarity and views.

The residential crown is a prototype of settlement 2.0. Rooftops of retail and office buildings, as well as parking garages, are activated, attractive locations are opened up, existing infrastructures are used more efficiently and the mixture of programs in the city centre is improved. The existing parking garage is complemented with penthouses as part of the renovation of the façade and entrance area. These residential units distinguish formally from the existing building structure and simultaneously give the building a harmonious completion.

Entrances and circulation of the building have been reorganized so that independent addresses for the car park and the residential building are clearly recognizable. The residential building is accessed (barrier-free) via a representative lobby on the ground floor with exclusive elevators that lead directly to the central, landscaped residential courtyard. The residential units are accessible from this common space. Each apartment (50 to 120m²) has a spacious, private terrace overlooking the rooftops of the city.

The Kiosk project was developed in response to the removal of informal structures in Dhermi, a fast-growing tourist village on Albania's coast. With tourism rising, the need for organized, adaptable infrastructure became pressing.

The design focuses on sun protection, upper-level storage, and layout flexibility for various vendors. Modular and affordable, the kiosk is easy to build, dismantle, and relocate using local, climate-appropriate materials. Its defining feature; a tapered, canopy-box roof, opens for shade by day and closes for secure overnight storage. This dynamic element allows smooth transitions between active use and closure, aligning with daily commercial rhythms.

The open ground level supports multiple configurations, while design investment is concentrated in the expressive roof. Quick to assemble and season-ready, the kiosk offers a cost-effective, climate-responsive solution for small businesses.

The Kiosk was one of the pavilions displayed at the first editoin of Bread&Heat Festival, which took place in Tirana, Albania, in June 2025.

Building 1.7 is part of the VIERZIG549 neighborhood in Düsseldorf's Heerdt district and, together with the adjacent buildings, forms the southwest entrance to the neighborhood on Willstätterstraße.

The design aims to combine residential, office, and commercial spaces within a single building, thereby promoting social diversity and a vibrant neighborhood structure. The plan includes office space, condominiums, and commercial units featuring restaurants and retail stores. From an urban planning perspective, a compact perimeter block with an inner courtyard is created, opening up to the neighborhood square while also offering semi-private open spaces for residents and users.

The building will be constructed as a hybrid timber structure with a wooden façade and a clearly defined base floor. Office and residential areas differ in their façade design but remain part of a unified ensemble.
In addition to an underground garage with parking spaces and bicycle storage rooms, green retention roofs, photovoltaics, and geothermal heating are planned. The goal is a sustainable building with DGNB Gold certification, Efficiency House 40 standard, and a high quality of life through the interplay of architecture, open space, and mixed-use development.

The Nümbrecht School Centre is to be restructured in several construction phases and thus converted from a classical corridor school with internal, anonymous and unused corridors into a new spatial-pedagogical concept, the Cluster School.
The corridors will be activated and transformed into communication zones, supplemented by group / EVA rooms and team stations, as well as niches and self-study areas, and opened to the communication zone.

In order to maintain a clear location of the gymnasium and the secondary school after the merging of the Hauptschule and Realschule to form the secondary school, the former Hauptschule will be demolished and the school centre supplemented by the new building of the secondary school. The planned new building contains 18 classes, 3 team rooms and 12 special learning rooms, which are grouped together in clusters.
The central interface between the existing building and the new one is the "common centre", which ensures the connection of the new building to the existing school centre.

The transformation of Trnavské Mýto into a dynamic cultural and urban hub is entering its next phase. With the building permit secured, Istropolis—designed by CITYFÖRSTER and KCAP in collaboration with Immocap—will break ground in summer 2025.

The project will introduce a state-of-the-art concert and congress hall, modern residences, and high-quality office spaces. The 3,000-person venue will host diverse cultural and business events, featuring in-the-round seating and multi-event flexibility. Offices will include a grand atria and flexible workspaces, while the residences will be nestled within green courtyards and pedestrian-friendly streets.

Istropolis sets new standards in sustainable urban development, integrating passive climate solutions, energy-efficient design, and biodiverse public spaces with 147 trees, 70 local plant species, and dedicated cycling infrastructure. Long overlooked despite its central location, Trnavské Mýto will soon be revitalized with green promenades, fountains, and a lively public square, supporting markets, gatherings, and everyday life.

With construction set to begin, Istropolis moves from vision to reality, shaping the future of Bratislava through architecture, sustainability, and vibrant public life.

Sufficiency means shared luxury.

The "Tiny Living" building is part of our project ecovillage in Hanover. It is located at the transition between the centre and the Green Ring and forms the interface between the intimate neighbourhood and communal space with a high degree of publicity.

The L-shaped building consists of two stepped structures, which are accessed and connected via a generously usable arcade. On the one hand, the arcade enables a diverse exchange between the residents and, on the other hand, a very high degree of flexibility in the use of the building. Based on a grid, a wide variety of apartment sizes and forms of living can be offered and the living space can be adapted to future changing needs.

The main focus in the development of "Tiny Living" is residential use. This is supplemented by a shared bicycle and storage room, two laundry rooms, a common room and an experiment room for water use and food cultivation operated by the entire ecovillage with access to the adjacent aquaponics greenhouse.

Responsible use of building materials makes a significant contribution to the sustainability of the property. As early as the construction of the building, the conservation of natural resources is included through a design that is suitable for recycling. Through the targeted choice of materials and the possibility of a clean separation of the elements used, the amount of waste is reduced and the rate of reuse and recyclability increases. The greatest possible use of the renewable building material wood not only minimizes the CO2 emissions during the construction of the building but also serves as important CO2 storage.

With the development of our ecovillage project in Hanover, there is a great opportunity to make an important contribution to future-oriented urban development with a balanced triad of social, ecological and economic sustainability. Find out more here.

From a factory site to a green living quarter!

The concept for the area of ​​the former fireclay factory in Bonn-Duisdorf transforms the industrial site into a green neighbourhood with a high quality of living. The urban arrangement of the buildings is derived from the noise impact from the south and the location within a larger city block. A four-storey block building with a stagger along the railway line shields the quarter from the noise. Two polygonal, four-storey solitary buildings in the south form the transition to the more loosely arranged buildings in the area. The structurally identical buildings fit into their surroundings by being twisted against each other and creating diverse and exciting spaces through recesses and bends.

A neighbourhood square is being created that will serve as an identity-forming address and meeting point. An additional green open space stretches to the east, where the opposite entrances to the buildings are located.

All adjoining municipal and private plots of land in the east and west can be integrated into the urban picture. The existing building, a shelter for the homeless, can be retained and further developed by adding another story and balconies. The green connection in the middle of the quarter will be extended and merged with a green area with a playground. In the west, a solitary structure can provide a clear edge to the neighbourhood square and minimize the noise impact on the inside of the quarter.

All new buildings are planned as wood hybrid buildings and can be recycled and later returned to the material cycle thanks to their deconstructability. Noise protection, spatial formation, and the quality of living are not dependent on the development of the neighbouring properties, guaranteeing a functioning and green residential area.

As the entrance to Stuttgart's new main station, the A3 development site plays a special role in the urban fabric. In a location that, more than almost any other, symbolises transformation and public consultation processes, the open public competition 'Raum für Ideen' (Space for Ideas) highlighted what is missing from the future city centre: a consumption-free, weather-protected yet open space for the urban community.
With the O.A.S.E., we propose a social innovation hub here as public-benefit-oriented infrastructure – an Open Appropriation and Social Development Space that functions as a climatic and social oasis.
The reused supporting structure of the historic station canopy provides an overarching framework, beneath which a permeable fabric of open space and buildings emerges. In this sheltered interior, leisure and activity converge: people can simply be here, strike up conversations, initiate projects, develop them further together and test them in practice. Workshops, open learning and exchange spaces, as well as venues for display and presentation, intertwine to make social issues visible and negotiable.
This creates a new urban space that not only offers shelter and a pleasant environment, but also acts as a catalyst for exchange, participation and collective action, and supplements the city centre with a public infrastructure that has been lacking until now.

The Waldhäuser Ost housing estate, built in the 1970s, is undergoing comprehensive energy efficiency upgrades and careful redevelopment. The location of the building in an earthquake zone poses a particular challenge, as it does not allow for classic building extensions under normal static conditions. The necessary earthquake safety is therefore achieved through targeted measures to reinforce the building: Reinforcing balcony walls and additional northern extensions take on load-bearing functions and at the same time enable the creation of additional living space.

Two of the three building sections will be extended using lightweight timber construction. This method reduces the dead weight of the structure while also meeting high standards of sustainability and cost-effectiveness. In order to retain the existing residents in the long term, the energy-efficient renovation of the facade will be deliberately limited to the necessary extent. Serially manufactured, recyclable components are used; openings and balconies are based on the existing building in terms of scale and appearance. In this way, structural improvements can be made without triggering a noticeable increase in rent.

The energy efficiency upgrade of the building envelope is combined with an extension of the balconies and a new, contemporary color and facade concept. In addition, northern extensions, additional stories, and the conversion of the existing ground floor and garden level apartments into maisonette apartments for large families will significantly expand and diversify the mix of apartments.

More generously designed outdoor seating areas and improved outdoor spaces also enhance the quality of life and strengthen the overall quality of living in the neighborhood.

The development vision transforms the former industrial site into an urban, mixed-use neighborhood. The proposal relies on clear spatial edges, strong address formation, and a carefully calibrated relationship between living, working, and public space. Distinctive building corners, a finely tuned grain, and a differentiated height profile create orientation and identity.

At its center lies a generous public playground that acts as the heart of the neighborhood, framed by active ground-floor uses. A continuous east–west connection strengthens links to the surrounding green corridors and introduces new addresses within the quarter. The courtyard structures draw inspiration from the characteristic Listhöfe, creating protected outdoor spaces for housing, childcare, and community uses.

The open space concept focuses on climate resilience, diverse planting, clear places to stay, and the option of a sponge-city approach. Flowering meadows, retention areas, and green facades support biodiversity and a pleasant microclimate.

The buildings draw on local typologies: office and commercial blocks with distinctive plinth zones, and residential buildings with colour-differentiated façades, dormers, loggias, and mansard roofs. Flexible floor plans allow long-term adaptability. An underground car park, bicycle hubs, and short distances support a car-free lifestyle. The result is a vibrant urban building block that brings together openness, diversity, and high-quality open spaces to form a clear and robust neighborhood.

The project has the aim of improving urban infrastructure and increasing the value of tourism assets. The city of Saranda is strategically located on the Albanian Riviera, overlooking the Ionian Sea. With its natural harbour and stunning coastal scenery, Saranda has become a central hub for tourism and maritime activities in the region.

The underwater heritage in the south of Albania is considered by National Geographic a top 10 site for underwater archaeology. Despite this recognition, there is currently no direct activity associated with it. The establishment of the Underwater Heritage Centre not only enriches the tourism offer, but also revitalises the city's cultural heritage by repurposing the former maternity building.

The proposed multifunctional programme integrates educational, commercial and entertainment activities to stimulate underwater tourism and connect it to the local economy and business opportunities.

The old maternity hospital dates from the 1940s, the period of the Italo-greek wars. It shows unique architectural qualities, but remains hidden in the urban fabric. To integrate the building in the city, the entrance area is redesigned as an active urban space, and commercial functions are placed in the plinth.

In the new roof pavilion, the building houses a new culinary venue for fine dining but also public evening events. The new rooftop restaurant establishes spectacular views over Saranda and it's coastline, while at the same time upgrading the old heritage building into a new landmark in the city.

Sustainable and Community-Oriented Neighbourhood
The project is developing a sustainable, community-oriented and ecologically responsible residential neighbourhood. A central neighbourhood axis connects the neighbourhoods, provides recreational and play areas, and integrates climate-friendly elements such as trees, unsealed surfaces and rainwater management. Green courtyards structure the neighbourhood, promote biodiversity and create lively places for interaction.

Active Ground Floors and Building Types
The ground floors activate neighbourhood life with co-working spaces, workshops, guest apartments, a daycare centre, mobility services and small-scale commercial enterprises. Three building types – polygon, point and bar – enable diverse forms of living, clear orientation and serial, economical implementation. The project will be realised in four construction phases, integrating existing buildings.

Pilot Project for Circular Construction
The polygonal structure serves as a pilot project for circular construction. It is characterised by simple cubature, timber construction, biogenic insulation materials, low-tech building services, reduced spans and uniform grids. These principles ensure dismantlability, material efficiency, short construction times and cost advantages. The experience gained will form the basis for all subsequent construction phases.

Open Spaces and Climate Resilience
The open spaces are clearly structured and interconnected. Open courtyards, small neighbourhood squares and a car-free axis with play, sports and recreation areas ensure orientation, interaction and a high quality of life. Unsealed surfaces, climate-resilient vegetation, meadows and decentralised rainwater management create 'cool islands' and increase the climate resilience of the neighbourhood.

Diverse Housing Supply and New Identity
A total of around 440 residential units of various sizes and types are being built – from small flats to cluster and family flats. The mix of housing, community, social facilities and neighbourhood-friendly businesses creates a lively, sustainable and future-proof neighbourhood that is oriented towards the scale of the location and at the same time creates new identities.