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

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

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

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

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

The Humboldt Block combines existing and new buildings to create a new productive quarter with a character know for Berlin, connects on many levels with its surrounding and can respond flexible on future challenges. The urban design aims to connect the area wit its surrounding - on one side the Humboldthain as an important open space, on the other side with the adjacent areas and institutions of the technology park.

The structural setting completes the perimeter development of the building block along Gustav-Meyer-Allee. Existing and new buildings merge to form a quarter with a strong character, creating an outside view typical for the location. The part on Gustav-Meyer-Allee with its public first floor areas form the showcase, representing the new quarter. In the center of the Humboldt Block, a sequence of squares is created to connect the entrances of the new and old buildings. Those buildings face each other and form a common public space.

The development is divided into nine north-south oriented strips of buildings, some of which are grouped together by internal courtyards. The main internal development for delivery traffic divides the resulting building strips in an east-west direction. The permeable building structure opens generously to the Humboldthain and links the quarter with its surroundings. The main thoroughfare is aligned with the two existing crosswalks of the block.

The Kielline connects the southern center of Kiel along the Förde with the northern district of Wik. It stages the impressive scenery of the Kieler Förde and is - especially during Kiel Week - a hotspot for events and tourism.

The Kiellinie is an important place of Kiel's identity as a city by the sea. In order to strengthen this identity, the new Kiellinie represents a connecting open space on all scales for Kiel. It combines city, landscape and water to form an ecosystem. The result increases the well-being of Kiel's people as well as the biodiversity of the flora and fauna of the Förde coast.

The Kiellinie is divided into three sections with different atmosphere, use and design. In the north, the „Förderküstenbiotop" renaturalizes the shore edge and offers local recreation areas for residents from the neighborhoods. The middle section stages a panoramic view of the water and the opposite neighborhoods. The pulsating mile represents the tourist center and lively heart of the Kiellinie. The different sections are held together by common design elements and form the identity of the Kiellinie. The defining element is the new stone of the shore edge, which continuously stages the topographical edge between water and land. The Kiellinie adapts to the different spatial and programmatic requirements and yet forms a recognizable identity in Kiel's urban space.

For the neighbourhood, a robust and at the same time adaptable concept is proposed, developed from the landscape and the context. Through a variety of qualified open spaces and a communal centre, neighbourhood, density and sufficiency can be thought differently.

Approximately 250 residential units of varying design will be created in the neighbourhood. In order to create affordable housing, the focus is on multi-storey housing. With the building types row, point, angle and double, there are four variants of multi-storey housing in the neighbourhood. The diverse housing offer is complemented by 38 terraced houses. The neighbourhood cluster in the centre lends itself to cooperative development with complementary uses.

The natural appearance of the neighbourhood is paramount. The use of sustainable materials offers ecological and technical advantages at the same time. Apart from the design specifications for typologies and spatial edges, the variance in facade and colour design, as well as in the open space elements of the individual neighbourhood clusters, ensures individuality and orientation. Design elements from the context create a sense of belonging to the surroundings, while communal spaces offer space for self-realisation.

The "Klima-Mosaik" is characterised by strong open space references, diverse forms of housing and an active, communal neighbourhood centre (including a meeting place, co-working, special forms of housing). In addition, the neighbourhood hub bundles mobility services and other uses (e.g. workshop, parcel station, youth meeting place).

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

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

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

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

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

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

The 17,3 ha 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 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.

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.

In addition to the university, the campus is also home to the Technical University, the University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein and other research institutions. In the course of the redesign, strategic guidelines were developed to steer the growth into a cohesive campus. The focus was placed on the development of existing structures and the preservation and qualification of green spaces. The development strategies are independent of each other in terms of content and time and can react flexibly to unforeseeable events.

The profiling of characterful subspaces provides orientation in the placement of new functional modules, creates synergies between them and serves orientation within the campus through recognisability. In addition to high-quality places of arrival, a knowledge path creates clarity in the circulation of the quarter.

In order to become an independent, lively district, the aim was to intensify use through residential uses and community facilities. Underused places are activated and reprogrammed. The sense of belonging to the city is reinforced by numerous links with the surrounding area. Existing barriers such as fences are removed.

Mtirala National Park is considered one of the most important protected areas in the Autonomous Republic of Adjara in Georgia. The name Mtirala (meaning „to cry") is derived from the 4,500 mm of annual rainfall, making it one of the wettest areas of the former Soviet Union.

The Integrated Masterplan for Mtirala National Park and Korolistavi Village aims to strengthen both wildlife and ecosystem protection as well as local economic development through eco-tourism. CITYFÖRSTER in collaboration with a variety of experts, from business consultancy to mountain bike trail development, developed a masterplan by formulating a 20-year vision for the region, containing 25+ possible interventions promoting and making accessible the "wettest place of Europe" a subtropical European rainforest, as well as a detailed 3-year action plan, eco-tourism and marketing and promotion strategy.

CITYFÖRSTER organized three workshops with the community of Korolistavi village and three stakeholder's workshops, identifying their goals and vision for Mtirala National Park and Korolistavi village.

Regarding the Architectural interventions, we were greatly inspired by the extremely peculiar natural situation of the park. Our aim was to design an architecture that doesn't distort but rather amplifies the peculiarities. This was achieved by designing extremely light, compact, and delicate objects.The function of these objects is not to draw attention to themselves but to be used as devices for understanding their natural surroundings.

maritime. green. communal.

The framework plan for the Hafen-Ost (harbour east) quarter in Flensburg forms the basis for the development and transformation of Hafen-Ost into a climate-friendly and sufficiency-oriented city neighbourhood with mixed uses and a wide range of open spaces.

Based on three possible development scenarios, a cooperative development process was carried out to create the framework plan involving the city, politics, stakeholders and the population. The result is the synthesis scenario "Hafenband + maritime. green. communal.", which creates the basis for the framework plan.

In addition to the framework plan with an urban and landscape planning concept, a development and utilization concept and an integrated mobility concept, the focus under the topic "How will less be enough?" is on the development of a sufficiency quarter for approx. 1000 units and up to 2,000 AP in an inner-city location.