1st Prize! This design competition winner imagines a new cooperative landscape for a residential neighborhood from 1960’s Germany.
In the last decade the resident demographic has diversified and further change is expected in the coming years as the city implements plans to increase density through the addition of residential units within the community. New residents will bring increased pressure on the already outdated public realm. A contemporary approach will offer new layers of social and ecological opportunities within existing boundaries.
Two green axes and a Quartiers plaza allow residents to meet and greet the neighbors amidst space for outdoor leisure, play and gardening. The inherent connectivity of these forms gives children the possibility to either play close to home or explore their community within safe, car-free zones.
The mobility concept moves the required automobile parking to the edges while prioritizing public transport options with a mobility hub in the Quartiers plaza. Secure bicycle storage for residents is distributed throughout the community.
Bio-diversity is a tool to both enliven the newly expanded public realm and manage the demands of climate change. The green axes are envisioned as zones of green infrastructure. New shade-giving trees increase evapotranspiration in support of a pleasant micro-climate. Bio-swales amidst planted areas allow for greater water infiltration. Space for urban gardening allow residents themselves to expand the habitat for local flora and fauna.
Pragmatic demands such as emergency vehicle access and maintenance are not forgotten. Access for maintenance and emergency vehicles is bundled to the new spatial structure.
This is a vision of a shared landscape supporting a socially cohesive and environmentally friendly community. Working within the existing urban fabric it provides an actionable roadmap to respond to socio-economic changes and ecological demands. It was this ambitiously holistic yet practical approach that convinced the jury to choose this vision above others.