Train Station | Soest
2nd Prize | Train Station Soest
Soest
In Collaboration with Jankowski Bürgener Architekten Stadtplaner PartmbB
The modern urban expansion of the old city of Soest has so far been carried out by primarily building single-family houses. Consequently, no independent urban identity could develop alongside the historic city center. However, for the new station district in Soest, the design aim is to develop its own character despite a difficult location.
Lageplan © GTL
The new station district is populated by various clusters. The open block structures create diverse, varied and engaging (optical) relationships between the urban and landscape areas, which are considerably reinforced by the diverse levels and qualities of use. The clear network system creates lines of sight to the core city with the St. Patrokli Cathedral and the surrounding urban spaces. A central square forms the heart of the quarter.
The landscape concept relies on the formation of differentiated green structures corresponding to the distinct living areas, and reconnecting them to the network of open spaces. In contrast to the development, the open space is planned with an organic design language.
The quarter illustration is painted by its landscaping: an up to 8 m high plateau embankment which is structured with plant groups and playgrounds, opening up new perspectives and visual connections to the surrounding area and the cathedral in the city center. This fixed point of reference is always visible from the access road.
The heart of the quarter as a central open space acts as a bracket between the neighborhoods to the north and south. The traffic areas are planned as “shared space” for all road users.
With the communal inner courtyards and the individually designed private open spaces in the form of tenants’ gardens, terraces, loggias and roof gardens, in addition to the public green connections, the design offers various quality open spaces that caters for the different population groups in the neighborhoods and in the quarter distict.
Community School | Neunkirchen
2. Prize I Community School
Neunkirchen
In Collaboration with troi Architekten, Aachen
The town center community school is being redefined in terms of structure and content. The new design emphasizes this notion with an assertive, and striking architecture. Urban spatial edges are included and partially expanded. The building blends harmoniously into the intended construction window.
The forecourt created by the new school building along Lutherstrasse forms a clear landmark as public space, and functions as a meeting point and lounge for the students. A high-quality, public and urban space will also be created for the entire quarter.
Lageplan © GTL
The playground is distinctly framed by the existing terrain and is accessed from the 1st floor. A generous, topographically modeled lawn divides the playground into different areas of use (including sports, school garden, and recreation area) and additionally serves as a lounge and activity area for the students.
An important existing tree in this area is being preserved and supplemented by further tree plantings to create a loose tree grove.
Along the existing wall, tribune-like places to stay are created, from which one can oversee what is happening in the playground. A climbing wall is also added on it to encourage movement. Alternatively, this area can also be used as an outdoor classroom.
A school garden is located in front of the dining room, which teaches the pupils the subjects of nutrition, health and understanding flora through practical use.
Family Center, Learning Workshop and Daycare Center, Waldau Campus | Kassel
1st Prize I Family Center, Learning Workshop and Daycare Center, Waldau Campus
Kassel
In collaboration with pape + pape architekten
The L-shaped building forms two structural angles parallel to the northern and western boundaries of the site, creating an inviting forecourt encompassing an entrance area under a canopy. This attractive outdoor space can be used for big events. Large glazed openings in the learning workshop, in the multifunctional room, and facing the campus grounds generate transparency, allowing the building to enter into direct dialogue with its surroundings.
The building volume and interior layout of the new family centre lay down clear categories and zones within the open space. A spacious forecourt has plenty of room for parents’ daily chat and, when the occasional performance takes place, offer somewhere to meet and talk during the interval. A lounging deck, slightly off to the side, is destined to become a popular meeting place for the kids.
On the quieter east side child-friendly bench-table combinations offer space for doing homework or craft activities outside. Between the new building and the gymnasium there is an outdoor playground and romp area for the daycare children. A linear playground sculpture offers opportunities for all age groups to stimulate all their senses through play, via various climbing and balancing options over the covered sandpit, to cosy boxes to which children can retreat.
A contiguous area of undulating lawn provides space where kids can whizz around and leap about. If necessary, the area for the under-3s can be separated off from the rest of the playground by low wooden gates. This area has its own sandpit with a deck, a playhouse and a small grassy slope with a slide for toddlers. The terrace in the eating area is set in a vegetable patch or ‘snack garden’ that provides a rich supply of delicious fruit and herbs, screened from the rest of the grounds by low fruit hedges. Fruiting shrubs and trees also grow on other parts of the site.
"Blasius-Blick" residential district, Kaufbeuren
1. Price | “Blasius-Blick” residential district
Kaufbeuren
This new residential district in Kaufbeuren, located near the old town centre, is designed to offer future residents an attractive, locally rooted, and climate-friendly area in which to live. In all aspects of the project, attention has been focused on providing accessibility for all and contemporary design.
The Märzenbach stream has been used as a structuring element in the landscape design, and proposed re-wilding will turn it into a natural and attractive asset. The spaces between the residential buildings visually flow into each other through a sequence of trees, flowering meadows, paths and other green spaces, all designed to echo the stream’s character. Alongside play equipment for children, there is also potential for games and recreational facilities for people of all ages in the public space located at the core of the neighbourhood’s landscape. The inclusion of picnic tables, among other things, encourages social interaction. In contrast, there are generous private gardens too, located at a discrete distance from the residents’ green space.
Private cars have been kept out of the neighbourhood and links established to major existing networks of footpaths and cycle paths. In addition, bicycle-parking facilities are available at various locations. Nevertheless, access for emergency vehicles, delivery traffic and other traffic for all newly proposed areas and buildings is achieved via safe and reliable routes with appropriate surfacing used for access and in the vicinity of buildings. These hard-landscaped areas are kept to a minimum since they serve only this purpose as well as providing accessible approach routes, with alternating cellular paving and greenery blending harmoniously together.
The theme of landscape runs throughout the entire residential quarter, and assembling the residential buildings in a meandering arrangement helps to give contour to the overall urban structure. The screening buildings located along Kemptener Strasse serve to buffer the area, creating a quieter and more sheltered environment within. It is imperative that the proposed apartments should not only be climate friendly, but affordable and attractive too. Responding to the outdoor spaces, apartments are oriented two ways, offering a range of views of the Blasiusberg and historical buildings beyond the immediate neighbourhood. Individual blocks are ideally suited to this, with their compact structure, monolithic construction method and energy efficiency, as well as step-free access.
The current tendency to work from home is taken into account in this forward-looking design concept by providing ‘joker’ rooms that offer people the option to work from home, or to use their space more flexibly. Through a mix of various-sized apartments, a social blend can be created, which helps to underscore the goal of creating stable, communal living.
Through the combination of compact buildings, a simple and thermally robust monolithic construction method, regenerative energy sources, and an energy-efficient BlueGreen building and landscaping concept, this project guarantees a forward-looking climate-friendly development.
High-Rise Marienplatz| Darmstadt
1.Prize I High-Rise Marienplatz
Darmstadt
This new high-rise building creates a link between Darmstadt’s publishing district and the city centre, while anchoring the project in the existing urban context.
The characteristic profile of the high-rise, with the lower four storeys set back, will make it a prestigious address for both residences and offices. The high-rise consists of a 4-storey plinth base, plus a 12-storey block rising from it. The plinth mirrors the eaves height of the neighbouring building thus establishing a relationship with its urban context. The top of plinth is planted with a roof garden that corresponds with its neighbour too. Another feature of the high-rise block are the 1.7m deep balconies that run round the building. Permanently installed planters here are intensively planted, engendering a garden-like atmosphere, shading the façade and creating a microclimate. This greenery is further enhanced by a generous roof area, the distinctive design of the terraces, and a row of trees along the outer edge of the penthouse terrace. The aim is to use all resources judiciously in order to create a sustainable building.
The space surrounding the building is typified by a square with some areas covered in grass pavers, and informal groups of trees. Benches beneath them are designed to encourage people to linger a while. Bicycle parking is arranged along the façade and the traffic routes. The green façade at ground floor level helps to tie the external landscaping into the building.
Cuno-Raabe School | Fulda
1.Prize + Surcharge I Cuno-Raabe School
Fulda
The redesign of the Cuno-Raabe School in Fulda encompasses a wide range of issues. Alongside erecting buildings, establishing fire compartments and escape routes, and generating an energy concept for the buildings, the external spaces offer high-quality, efficient and sustainable design. All this presents an opportunity to put the former church – a heritage listed building with a strong identity – to a new use.
The new building, which forms the northwest extremity of the site, is being developed in conjunction with the existing church building. To bring together various internal uses – such as classrooms, admin rooms, staffrooms, a school canteen, plus a teaching kitchen and other spaces – the church’s volume is to be retained, and inside it a “house-in-house” principle will be applied. While the substance of the church will continue to provide protection from the elements, a separate building that meets the requirements for new sustainable buildings will be built inside. This will later house a school canteen, an auditorium and on the upper floor, a kitchen, areas used throughout the day, and the library. This eliminates the need for a costly energy retrofit. The bridge connecting these two buildings also creates an important external element. A fascinating interplay of façade materials and landscaping is achieved through juxtaposing the materiality of the brick church façade with that of the external areas with alternating wood, textile sunshades, and light concrete block paving.
A core element in the external landscaping concept is the playground between the former church and the new building. Bounded on both sides by stepped seating, it opens up in the centre with space-defining single trees and leads to a dense ‘play forest’ where children can romp around. Another special feature is the climbing and balancing frame that uses gravel incorporated in the subsoil to mitigate the impact of falls. Away from all the hustle and bustle is a quiet area that can also be used as a green classroom or school garden. The planting concept calls for the use of robust native shrubs in the perimeter areas that can withstand all the various demands.
Parking is being restructured in conjunction with the new building. Parking spaces will be supplemented by centrally located bicycle parking close to the entrance. The roofs of the new building, in addition to supporting a modern photovoltaic system for generating power, will be planted as extensive green roofs, plus a landscaped roof garden and a play area.
Millennium Areal | Frankfurt
Recognition I Millennium Areal
Frankfurt
The interplay between green courtyards and stone urban space creates attractive and spatially differentiated outdoor lounges. Loosely set, the multi-stemmed field maples in the courtyard and to the left and right of the entrance plaza form a light-filled canopy that frames and sets the scene for the fountain plaza in front of the main entrance.
A cleverly controlled, flush-to-the-ground fountain and spray field, which can be turned off when needed, together with the bench elements, make the forecourt a popular gathering place. The tree canopies continue into the central courtyard, where loosely placed tree locations are generously underplanted with shade shrubs and ferns. This creates small-scale, green spaces. To make the play area in the kindergarten as contiguous as possible, a linear play and climbing element that accommodates all of the expansive play equipment uses the windowless firewall facing the courtyard.
In the courtyard, the paved amenity areas are reduced and broken up in favor of an even larger greening component.
Redesigning the Alter Markt and surroundings of Gudensberg Church | Gudensberg
3rd Prize I Redesigning the Alter Markt and surroundings of Gudensberg Church
Gudensberg
The main principle behind this concept is terracing, which is already evident in the two most prominent buildings in the town – the Stadtkirche, or town church, and the castle ruins. The terracing will be repeated on the square to highlight the historical significance of the Alter Markt, or old marketplace. The terracing is generated by walls and staircases, which help to mitigate the steeply sloping square, whereby a small and a large terrace are created, each with a different ambience and each generating their own distinctive space. These terraces fit into the intimate character of the square and take up the building lines of the old half-timbered houses. The small terrace incorporates a seating area and parking facilities. The large terrace is covered by a tree canopy and may be used for events and small festivities. In addition to helping to overcome the change of gradient, the wide staircase also serves as seating and a place where people can linger. New views and visual axes are also created. The majority of the existing trees can be retained, and these are of course integrated into the concept.
© GTL
Making use of the connecting route between Braugasse and Alter Markt, a traffic-calmed zone is created that can continue to be used by motorists. The square is no longer criss-crossed with small streets and thus creates a larger area where people can get together and pass the time. All access routes will remain freely accessible for cars. In terms of sustainability, the existing trees will not be significantly affected, as it they are evidently not suffering from disease or similar problems. These large plane trees provide a pleasant leafy canopy, so people are protected from rain showers and strong insolation.
Of the seven plane trees, only one will have to be felled and this will create a uniform group of six, which increases the intelligibility of the square. Some contouring of the plane trees and lime trees may also take place.
In the churchyard, the topography will be altered so that access to the church is also step-free. The entrance redesign includes various new elements and paving using natural stone slabs.
Ochsenau – Bereich Ost | Landshut
2nd Prize I Ochsenau – East area
Landshut
In collaboration with Troi Architekten
The development of the Ochsenau district is based on its surroundings and the parameters requested by the sponsor. In the northeast, the competition area borders on LAs 14 and forms a clearly visible border in this zone. The existing near-natural hedge also forms the first noise protection frontier caused by traffic on LAs 14. The development is roughly formed from north to south, starting with the district parking garages.
The multi-storey car parks on the northern border combine the necessary parking spaces with effective noise protection and attractive workplaces and mobility stations. A large part of the motorized vehicles are already lead into the parking garages at the entrances of the quarter. In addition to the district garages, the apartment building forms spacious courtyards with a high quality of stay. As a shared-space area, a central east-west axis forms the connecting link between all areas of the quarter. To the south of this axis are the terraced courtyard houses and the single-family houses, which, due to their lower height, also allow parts of the apartment building to have a view to the south. The single-family houses are arranged around the terraced courtyard houses. Each of which is oriented towards the green corridor, which represents the buffer zone to the nature reserve, through the formation of the green areas.
© GTL/troi
Quarter arrangement
The implementation of the structures around the central quarter axis and around the connection to the green areas, accompanied with play and leisure facilities, results in high quality open spaces. Good accessibility to all district-formations, uses and open spaces is guaranteed for all types of recidences. Neighborhood meeting point, local supply and mobility station are organized around the central square quarter.
Open spaces / local recreation
The green corridor, which extends from east to west along the nature reserve, forms a 25-meter-deep buffer zone into the reserve. In three distinct areas, the green corridor extends to the central connection axis and forms a comb-like structure of green areas. The spacious courtyards of the multi-storey apartment building serve the majority of the community and are used with a wide variety of functions.
Usage Distribution / Residential Forms
The different residential types are staggered from north to south. By dividing it into 3 building sections in the east-west direction, a meaningful organic development is guaranteed, in which an attractive mix of living space is offered in each building section. All construction phases portray the required social and structural mix and function independently. In the first construction phase, the common large-area usage can be adapted.
All other joint uses, such as workplaces close to the home, mobility stations and parking garages will be realized with their respective construction phases. Through the use of wood as a building material, the optimal arrangement of the buildings and the formation of the multi-storey apartment building on a grid, an ecological, high-quality residential area is created with an energetically well thought-out sustainable development.
Alternative Parking Concepts
The multi-storey car parks also include alternative parking concepts.
In addition to the designed parking spaces, the multi-storey car parks take on other functions such as urban gardening or sports activities on the roof. Co-working is planned on the courtyard side, which can also be accessed from the “exterior” in a short cut.
The parking spaces for the terraced houses are located on the ground floor below the eastern row and contain the parking spaces for all residents. The traffic is already intercepted at the central axis and diverted into the depths of the quarter. Only the small number of single houses is approached directly by car via the play street. Last but not least, the visitor parking spaces are located along the axis of the quarter.
Redesign of Holstenstrasse of the Old Market | Kiel
Redesign of Holstenstrasse of the Old Market
Recognition Kiel
A new city parquet for Kiel
As a result of the central inner-city redesign, specifically the areas of Holstenplatz, Schevenbrücke to Heinrich-Ehmsen-Platz and Oberer Holstenstraße, a coherent urban hub has been created that does justice to Kiel’s influence as the state capital.
In order to create a timeless effect, a combination of granite flooring, uniform in terms of materials and colors, combined with new furniture, additional tree plantings and attractive water features, are chosen to function as a place to stay and stroll through.
The new urban parquet, made of gray-beige granite, translates the traditional facade and slab design, into a contemporary interplay of different formats and layouts. These allow a simultaneous subtle yet clear differentiation between the central promenade and docking squares.
Perspektive © GTL
The surface color, “the flaneur’s facade”, deliberately sets it apart from the clinker brick facades, and with its warm gray-beige, creates a neutral framework for the heterogeneity of the facade materials.
Only two elongated formats are selected for the entire competition area, with the smaller format in a ratio of 1: 3 to the larger panel format in order to achieve a precise interplay of the joints.
The larger panel formats of the “carpet” connect the old town and the Holstentörn. Along the façade, the smaller city parquet is laid in rows of three, thus defining a front zone for outside catering and displays. This also applies to the seating arrangement.
As far as the surface is concerned, these are defined by the laying of the smaller hardscape in a herringbone structure, which is additionally placed on the Holstenplatz by banding in the row structure.
Complementary additional trees play a role in strengthening the spatial qualities of the inner cit, while also highlighting the different characters of the individual squares and streetscapes:
- In the southern part of Holstenplatz, the completion of the sycamore square resolves the existing diffuse spatial situation
- The loose tree position of Europaplatz and Heinrich-Ehmsen-Platz are connected by additional tree plantings in Scheuvenbrücke and western Fabrikstrasse
- A continuous row of trees along the concave side of Holstenstrasse emphasizes the slight curvature of the street
- The very unique character of Asmus-Bremer-Platz with its loosely placed sliding roof is underlined by a modification of the furnishing concept
Regarding the details of the urban spaces:
Holstenplatz
The demolition of Andreas-Gayk-Straße with the simultaneous expansion to the central public transport hub enables the opening of the square towards the bus platform.
The tree roofing, reinforced with the addition of new plantings, creates a pleasantly cool place to stay in summer, and sufficiently sunny in winter. The tree locations receive new edging, each of which accommodates benches on two sides in an alternating arrangement. By introducing an approx. 10 cm thick layer of mineral vegetation, the tree grates can be planted with robust, low grass and shade loving perennials without affecting their current stand.
In the northern area of the grove, there is a playing field made of a color-coordinated fall protection surface. Trampolines, balancing elements, climbing sticks, a sand game and course elements create an attractive play area. This attraction is further complemented by the adjacent fog and fountain field. Fountains that are controlled alternatively via time and height, and alternating with mist nozzles, are not only considered a magical place for the kids, but also a wonderful place for all visitors that come to the city to relax and linger. A subtle nocturnal lighting of the fountains that alternates with an artistic video staging of the fog clouds, makes the water feature a center of attraction even at night.
Since all installations such as fountain pots etc. are flush with the floor, the fountain system only needs to be switched off at events.
Western Fabrikstrasse – Northern edge of Holstenplatz – Schevenbrücke Connection
A supplement to the existing, loosely placed tree population with a few more trees enables a more defined connection from the urban spaces across the significantly narrowed Andreas-Gayk-Straße. To secure elevated tree locations, two raised plant beds are added in the area of the northern edge of the square in a way that ensures optimal continuity is achieved in all directions.
Holstenstrasse
A carpet made of granite slabs of larger format connects the shopping center at Zegelteich with the old town of Kiel and leads the paving of Holstenstrasse along Holstenplatz to the Ziegelteich street.
Along the façade, the carpet is bordered on both sides by an approx. 3 m wide band made of a smaller-sized parquet in threes. This concept, is to ensure that the middle walkway is very subtly differentiated from its surrounding contexts close to the building like areas for displays and outdoor catering, simply through the size of the slabs. The drainage channel made of natural stone is – unlike in the existing structure – arranged at the interfaces between the surfaces in order to keep the main running zone free from the water flow.
Benches in the shade of the new tree locations not only invite you to linger, but are – also from the point of view of the needs of an aging society – essential for the succesful usability of a public space.
Accessibility and mobility
By completely dispensing with rough surfaces (such as natural stone paving), the entire urban space can also be utilized by individuals with reduced mobility. As for the visually impaired, there is a tactile guided tour in Holstenstraße along the two drainage channels at the edge of the walking area (implemented using stainless steel strips, obstacle-free guidance outside the outdoor catering and display area). At Heinrich-Ehmsen-Platz / west of Fabrikstrasse there is a mobility hub consisting of a taxi stand and parking spaces for car and bike sharing.