PARK haus, Stuttgart
p. 3-8
URBAN DESIGN
Urban shRoom, Stuttgart
Master thesis
p. 9-18
Hahnsche Mühle, Schorndorf
p. 19-22
Green Bridges, Stuttgart region
str.ucture GmbH
p. 23-26
Market Hall, Tübingen
p. 27-30
Elephant Song Lodge, Sesfontein
Bachelor thesis
p. 31-36
Theatre, Krefeld
p. 37-40
p. 41-46
In order to reduce the number of cars in the city centre of Stuttgart, the highway B12 is to be narrowed from a four-lane street to a two-lane street. Nearby, a mobility hub is planned right next to the Züblin Parkhaus, the project's location. With the Kultur Kiosk inside this multistorey car park, it is already used as a cultural spot with exhibitions and di erent events on the roo op. e new plans for Stuttgart's city centre leave the Züblin Parkhaus unused and in danger of demolition. To save CO2 emissions and to prevent the surrounding greenery from being destroyed, the concept of the conversion is to provide new value to the plot by combining nature, culture, working and communal housing in one building. For privacy reasons, the utilizations are separated in "public" and "private", each located on one of the two ramps, that form the characteristic structure of the existing building. To provide enough light for the di erent utilizations, the in lls for apartments, retail, o ces and
closed community spaces are arranged along the facade and the three newly cut-in atriums, with functions in less need of light located in the darker areas of the building. In between the in lls the circulation along each ramp is used as open community space in the private area and as exhibition space in the public area. Additional community and public spaces are located on the ground level and the roo op terrace. e atriums, primarily providing light, also reconnect public and private utilizations, as both are in visual contact. Furthermore, they serve as quick access, with public staircases only in the middle, to prevent exposing the attached apartments to passing visitors. With its existing green and further greening of the roof and the facade the PARK haus serves as a cool spot in a heat-stressed area, making it the new centre of the two adjacent residential districts. e plants not only improve the microclimate with evaporative cooling, but also support biodiversity.
LIGHT ANALYSIS AND ATRIUM ARRANGEMENT
USE BY LIGHTING REQUIREMENTS
residential workshop
multifunctional comunity area
bike cellar
office/co-working business
gastronomy water storage
CIRCULATION
STATUS QUO
driveway up driveway down staircase/elevator
CONCEPT
private circulation staircase ramp public circulation ramp staircase staircase/elevator
CLIMATE CONCEPT
ROOF
• generating warm air for interior spaces through solar radiance
• solar panels for clean energy
• collection of rainwater
EXTERIOR
• evaporative cooling through plants producing fresh air for indoors and outdoors
ATRIUM
• indoor ventilation through stack-effect
• water collection and distribution
water storage biogas plant
fungal networking for a car-free community
e foundation of this project lies in two detailed studies, one about the car-free city and one about fungi as new regrowing building material. e former revealed, that the main problem with the car-free concept is the implementation, especially in Stuttgart, a city, where most residents have a deep emotion towards their car, although people are aware of the problems, like the lack of space or health aspects – Stuttgart oversteps the city's budget on particulate matter several times a year. e latter study showed that so-called mycelium composites are nowadays, because of their biodegradable features, primarily used for indoors and temporary outdoor structures. By combining these two studies into an urban design and participation project, the challenges of convincing Stuttgart's residents to waive the privilege of the own car are tackled through the usage of mycelium composite materials, with its low carbon footprint, for temporary self-built structures in urban space. e goal is
to experience what a car-free and therefore spacious, green, inclusive, and diverse city could look like. It also gives the residents the chance to shape that vision themselves, by participating, creating, and appropriating space for themselves and the community, building a "fungal" network in the neighbourhood. Consequently, this prospective urban space will not only be climatically, but also socially sustainable. To elaborate this concept, a street with historic importance and prominence, namely Johannesstraße, in Stuttgart's western district, is used as a case study. e district is especially vulnerable to climate change, being challenged by heat-stress on 30 days per year. Greenery and public relaxation spaces are scarce, although it is also one of the densest residential districts of Germany. e project is split in three episodes – the research and elaboration part, the appropriation of space, and the rough vision that is used to convince the city council, the residents, and sponsors to get started.
Living fungi and used, composted mycelium composite materials in local greenery help storing water in the soil, provide nutrients to plants, and therefore help to improve the urban climate.
Establishing the Urban shRoom workshop, producing mycelium composite materials, and research on fungi
Mycelium composite material is used in various appropriation initiatives involving residents, local retail, social agencies, gastronomy, and cultural projects with the goal of transforming the view on public space
Through several trials of appropriation citizens and council work together to plan the new car-free urban landscape in a socially and climatically sustainable way
The street is car-free and becomes a series of small varying public spaces for all classes, ages, and gende –providing more space for nature and thereby improving the overall health of the citizens.
Mycelium composite material is produced by mixing spores of a living fungus, e.g., reishi mushroom, and organic material like wheat, wood chips or agricultural waste. e fungus develops its rootlike mycelium and digests the organic material. ereby, it connects the loose organic material like a spongy glue. e growth process must be stopped at some point, through drying or heating, in order to have a stable material that can be used for furniture, tiles, and bricks, which then form bigger structures like pavilions. If working in a clean environment the material can easily be produced even by laymen. In this case study, the founding of the Urban shRoom workshop in a vacant o ce building, provides space for research and design with experts helping laymen during the creative process. As the mycelium composite is also biodegradable it builds an ideal material for temporary structures in urban spaces, so that trying out di erent utilizations and di erent shapes can be achieved with a low
carbon footprint. With the community of the neighbourhood trying out di erent designs and experiencing them, a socially sustainable urban space can be created, so that citizens and visitors can enjoy the appropriated space, former parking lots and streets, for as long as possible. Furthermore, carefully chosen, native fungi are spread by experts throughout the existing greenery around the alley trees. e living organism loosens the soil, increasing its water-storage capacities for evaporative cooling in the summer and delivers nutrients to the plants, increasing their heat resistance and providing protection against dangerous illnesses and other fungi. Special fungi, e.g., oyster mushrooms, can even store poisonous industrial particles in the fruiting bodies and thereby clean the soil. Finally, both utilizations of the fungi, the material and the organism, close the circle when the used and broken material is spread into the greenery to be biodegraded and return the biomass to nature as a fertilizer.
Fungi as building material and common good
inoculated with fungus that decomposes biomass, providing nutrients to plants, moisten surface for evaporative cooling
GRAVEL
remains of former street used as drainage, helps fungus loosen the soil underneath
partly compressed because of former use as a street, now being loosened and moistened by fungus, thereby improving water storage
During several temporary appropriation initiatives that are organised by the UrbanshRoom workshop and realised in close cooperation with the residents, retail owners, schools and kindergartens, di erent parts of the Johannesstraße are used to experience how a car-free and green city would work and feel like during varying time spans throughout the year. Examples of what could be done during these initiatives are shown in the pictures below, where mycelium composite materials are used for e.g., furniture, exhibition walls and pavilions.
social agencies: existing school, kindergartens, churches and non-profit organisations
gastronomy: existing bars, restraurants and cafés
garages in courtyards with the potential use for retail and industry
potential for mixed uses on ground floor level: gastronomy, retail, studios, exhibition spaces, co-working, etc.
A er several run-throughs of appropriation initiatives, the result is a residential community and city council, that are convinced of the car-free concept and gladly waive their privilege of using public space to park a private car. Urban planners now create an urban landscape according to the expectations of the residents. Ideally, concepts that were developed during the appropriation phase are adopted. Here, a vision of how that public space could look like is presented.
MOBILITYHUB
streets becoming urban space
e Hansche Mühle (local mill) is one of the oldest industry complexes of Schorndorf, a suburb of Stuttgart. As a consequence of new, more efcient technologies and the housing crisis, the owner is looking for new strategies to revive his plot. is concept is one of several scenarios that were developed in a larger group in participation with the owner, locals, the city council and apartment-seekers. As a result of several interviews with the di erent actors, three forms of community living are explored in this scenario. Di erent sizes of community living – consisting of multistorey houses with reduced private area, increased community areas (circulation, roof), and shared ats, multigenerational apartment houses in an ecovillage, and experimental living – are positioned according to the surrounding area: the density of the mill's area decreases, corresponding to lowering density on the district's south-north axis. Furthermore, the appeal of the historic city centre serves as inspiration: the projections and recesses in the arrangement of the buildings, their di erent sizes and the resulting courtyards are cited on the mill's area to provoke a lively neighbourhood with a diverse shared outdoor space.
existing structure: community center, museum, co-working, kindergarten, hostel
multistorey community housing
ecovillage: apartment housing
experimental housing, e.g. tiny houses
Situated between the university hospital and the historic city centre, the concept for a market hall adds a new point of attraction at the beginning of the pedestrian zone in Tübingen. e proposal provides space for twelve market stores and a café with a forecourt subsequent to the northern botanical garden. e overall concept is based on the idea of merging the outside and the inside with the visitor's path in between. Circling around the inner structure the visitor is always in sight of the urban space but also the goods presented in the stores. Instead of several small employee areas, one large space in each part of the building is created, simplifying technical systems and operating processes. To reduce the carbon footprint of the building, the main structure is made of timber, whilst the inner walls are made of rammed earth. A moveable metal curtain is used for shading in the summer. In tandem with night-cooling the building operates without air-conditioning.
with care for landscape, climate, and sustainability
As humanity continues to destroy valuable ecosystems all over the world, Namibia is one of the few countries worldwide that manages to preserve most of its unique ora and fauna. e reason for that is Namibia's successful community-based wildlife conservation, that was initiated in 1996. It allows communities to bene t from wildlife on communal land by working with private companies to create a tourism market. Before, Namibia's ecosystem su ered just like many sub-Saharan countries from extensive poaching. Today, people see wildlife as an economic asset to be preserved in order to have a long-lasting income. However, so called eco-tourism, which largely nances these conservancies and thereby the local communities, has reached an absurd level in some areas. Swimming pools and green golf courses in the middle of the dry savanna and even desert are common luxuries for some tourists. ese luxuries o en not only cause an arti cially high demand on the already scarce
water, but also disrespect and distract from the exceptional landscape, especially in largely untouched areas such as Kaokoveld in the northwest of Namibia. erefore, the goal of concept for an eco-lodge is to put the enjoyment of landscape, ora, and fauna once more into the centre of the wildlife experience. e project is situated near a former open campsite (Elephant Song Camp), which is only reachable via 4wd-trails through the riverbed of the Hoanib, and provides both campsites and chalets to sleep in, as well as an open shaded community area in the centre of the enclosure. e positioning of the chalets and the common area are oriented along climatic requirements, view and the traditional Himba village (Ozonganda). Himba and Damara are the native people in Kaokoveld. eir descendants make most of the population in nearby Sesfontein, the managing community of the new self-contained lodge.
For the lodge to be as environmentally friendly as possible, three strategies are formulated: a minimal invasive, material reduced structure, climate responsive design, and autonomous energy and water supply. In uencing each other, these three strategies result in a similar construction for all buildings: a wooden support structure with a light membrane roof. at way, the common area, which is primarily used in the morning and evening and therefore needs shading above all, can be support free underneath, and open to all sides with fresh air coming in all day. On the other hand, the chalets, which need to be cool during hot summer nights, have two layers of textiles with a bu er zone in-between and a natural ventilation system. All roofs are equipped with exible PV, furthermore, the chalets use solar thermal collectors to provide warm water in this decentralised system. Water is collected from every roof and during dry season the nearby spring can support water storage.
Preventing overheating of chalets by moving them on the east side of the hill
triangular shape of the chalets helps reducing solar irradiation and collection of rainwater
natural ventilation (chimney effect) is improved by a high gable
solar irradiation is reduced by tilting the facade
a free-spanning membrane structure provides shade in a multifunctional common area
both chalet and common area are built on the hill rather than in the hill (minimal invasive)
e modernisation of urban infrastructure has le the old sewage treatment plant in Krefeld, built in 1909, unused from 1998 until today. Since 2018, the city tries to nd new ways to revive the area located between a residential district and the industry district, right next to a secondary school. is concept for a new cultural centre proposes to establish a small modern theatre, an exhibition space, and a café. Additionally, in order to make use of the lot not only at operation hours of the previous mentioned utilizations, a children's and youth circus, that works closely with the nearby school, bene ts of the large theatre hall as indoor training room together with the outdoor foursquare. For both utilizations a workshop building and a storage room for requisites and costumes are added to the existing structure. All buildings work together as an enclosure, putting the foursquare and the entrance to the existing structure in the centre of the composition. Brick walls connected to the café and
storage building add to that e ect, inviting visitors into the area. e lowered foursquare, citing an ancient amphitheatre with its surrounding steps, distinguishes the subordinate buildings from the main building by putting them on di erent levels. e existing structure of the former sewage treatment plant is split in three parts: e small hall in the north and therefore front of the lot, the main hall at the back, and a connecting part, which includes the entrance area and most of the circulation. e small hall functions primarily as foyer but can also be used for separate events and exhibitions. e main hall is equipped with a stand structure and stage, that can be removed, making the space and thereby the theatre as exible as possible, enabling circus training and other events. e interior of both halls is largely kept as it is, with the patina on the concrete in the large hall and the wall tiles in both halls, adding a morbid and truthful charm to the industrial look.
Dipping an object into a uid mass leaves a trace either on the object itself or in the uid it was dipped into. While this trace can be seen as a wet spot on the object or an imprint on the uid, the process itself and its movement is transitory. e goal of this study is to develop a system to make this motion visible and permanent. ereby, the study analyses the in uence of the objects shape, the movements direction and speed, and the amount of air ow on the extruded result. ree-dimensional objects out of melted sugar and melted polylactide manifest the process and the variables each in an iconic way. A er the extrusion process the sculptures cool down and are analysed on how the original shape and the motion itself promote volumes, surfaces, and strands. Consequently, the system is improved with every trial to eventually produce predictable outcomes.
is photo study explores di erent natural phenomena by keeping a close eye on details of patterns and colours, describing how di erent aspects of nature in uence each other. One of the biggest forces being the microclimate and weather – creating waves in the sand, cracking rocks, and shaping the way plants grow. Studying nature this close is not only important to build an understanding for creating with it instead of against it, but also serves as inspiration for functionalities, shaping, texture, and colour in urban planning, architecture, and design.
