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PORT FOLIO Saskia Langbein

Architecture

CONTENT

01 Sharing a Home

Master Thesis, 2023

02 Garden City Berlin 16 Bachelor Thesis, 2021

03 Cultural Center 24 Design Studio Master, 2021

04 Artefacts of Persistence 30 Design Studio Master, 2022

05 Transitional Spaces 38 Design Studio Bachelor, 2021

06 Prototype Models 46 Bachelor, 2017-2021

Sharing a Home Master Thesis, 2023 Individual

Barcelona

How can we re-imagine the concept of living together in alternative ways? By designing our environment, we are not only creating new spaces to go through, pass by and be in, but we are also creating a surrounding that dictates how we live. Everything is designed for a certain user. The things designed for a broad variety of users are often designed for an imaginative norm. In the case of housing this norm is to live either by yourself or with a core family. In Europe, the average household size is 3,1 people and many apartments are designed for this average. When looking for an apartment without fitting these norms, the options get sparse and inhabitants need to try to appropriate a space that is not made for them. While populations in cities are increasing, space per person is increasing and rents rising, many people decide to move in with other people outside of their core family. This means a new way of living together is calling for an adaptation of housing. The new user group that becomes more of a norm needs facilitation to do so. In my master thesis, I designed a cluster apartment design that works within the context of the neighbourhood Poblenou in Barcelona. A city that as one of the highest densities in Europe and fastest rising rents in Spain. A city that is modern, open to change, but presents a sense of community and neighbourhood that I so far haven‘t experienced in other cities.

1. Café 2. Art Studio 3. Workshop 4. Installation Room 5. Garden Storage 6. Bookable Space 7. Bike Storage

N 1.

8. Library 9. Atelier/ Offices

2. 4.

9. 9.

Ground Floor 548 m2

Facade Southwest

9. 9.

Ground Floor Upstairs 162 m2

Facade Northwest

Courtyard

Main Kitchen

Stairs in the Courtyard

2nd Floor

Exterior Balcony

3rd Floor Laundry

4th Floor Co-Working

Sto

ffi ce

G R m

Liv

o Ro

ain

itc

5th Floor

6th Floor

DESIGN PRINCIPLES

Connectivity

Common Spaces

Diversity of Spaces

Flexibility

Wind Catcher

S Storage 10

1st Floor 698 m2

Gradients of Privacy

Good Climate Conditions

Closed

Open Cluster apartments are a flexible and costeffective housing option that can offer a balance between individual and community living. They do so by assuring privacy and independence in the private units, while the shared spaces provide opportunities for social interaction and a sense of community. The overarching objective was to develop a project that encompasses three fundamental aspects: efficient spatial organization, fostering a sense of community, and employing sustainable building practices. Given the housing shortage in Barcelona, a key focus is on optimized space allocation by minimized square meters per person. This is achieved by offering compact private units while dedicating ample areas to shared and public spaces. The apartment streches across the whole floor. There is different private units build around different common areas. Some of the private units are connected through the outside pathways, giving residents the sence of having their own apartments and more privacy. For those who want to be in the centre of the community, there are private units that have a little kitchinette in their entrance areas. These can be opened to common spaces, as seen in the pictures. When residents want to cook together or enjoy a larger kitchen with generous eating areas they simply open up their apartments. During the night or when more privacy is needed the kitchen spaces can be closed and used as a hallway. Apart from common spaces that are connected to the apartments, there is also other open areas or rooms that can be used by all residence of one floor. This assures a certain degree of flexibility and adaptability for the different needs of the residence.

Closed

Open

Flexible Kitchen 11

LOW-TECH SUSTAINABLE BUILDING METHODS 8.

1. 5.

N 4.

Cooling 1. Shading for the Courtyard in Summer Windows can be opened 2. Wind Catcher

3. Exterior Sunscreen Balconies as Overhangs 4. Opening for Ventilation

Heating 5. Closed Courtyard, that keeps warmth during winter 6. Sun Enters through the facade in winter Black facade that collects heat during the cold month

6. 4.

Water 4.

7. Rain Water Collection for Gardening 8. Solar Water Heater

Electricity 9. Solar Panels

DETAIL

WALL 1 20 mm black charred wood facade that follows the Shou Sugi Ban method channel frame back ventilation 2 24/48 mm counter battens; windproof layer 3 80 mm thermal hemp insulation; diffusion open synthetic wind barrier; 4 100 mm cross laminated timber; steel channel 5 48 mm inlaid mineral wool thermal insulation 6 2× 13 mm fiber cement panel

FLOOR 7 35 mm light white oak panels 8 35 mm reinforced screed 9 PE foil separation layer 10 30 mm hemp wool impact soundproofing 11 1500 kg/m3 crushed stone infill in 60 mm honeycomb cardboard 12 5 mm soundproofing mat 13 160 mm cross laminated timber FLOOR BALCONY: 14 35 mm light white oak panels 15 2≈ 40/80 mm steel channel 16 160 mm cross laminated timber

LIGHT OAK

BLACK WOOD SHOU SUGI BAN

CROSS LAMINATED TIMBER

LIME PAINT

CONCRETE

Garden City Bachelor Thesis, 2021 Collaboration

Berlin 2 1 km per

100.000 Berliners

3,9 MIO PEOPLE in the year 2030

x 10m2 per person results in

39 km2

What if each Berliner had 10m2 of garden space for their use? „How can we make, what has mainly been done in allotment gardens more sustainable and accessible?“ was the first question for this thesis. The outcome was a campaign brochure, which should could be handed out to residents and politicians to convince them of our vision: Garden for all! Those who normally pursue the dream of a garden move to the suburbs or to the countryside. Owning a garden in the city counts as a luxury. But the green space in the form of a garden should not only be a consumer good of the upper class, It holds many advantages for any city dweller and city that wants to defy climate change and become more resilient. Community garden projects in Berlin‘s inner city show the interest of Berliners and Urban Gardening became a trend over the last decades. Gardens do not only offer the space needed for gardening and the production of fruit and vegetables, but also for recreation in the green, playground for children and for creative energies. Therefore, everyone in Berlin should have the opportunity not only to make better use of public space, but also to help shape it. But how can this be achieved? The idea in a nutshell: Everyone in Berlin can have at least 10m2 of garden space at their free disposal, which can be designed either alone or together with others. For this purpose, four prototypical types of space were defined, the so-called potential spaces. With different programmes, they create a change of use, an extension of use and space for more „active“ green areas.

Insect Meadow

Ecological Gardening

Workshop Roof Farming Playground ROOF GARDEN Garden Cafe

WALKWAY GARDENING COMMUNITY GARDEN

Co-operative Shop Primarily Bike Street

Office Space

VISION The brochure is divided into five chapters. In the analysis section, topics such as green spaces, allotment gardens, biodiversity, local supply, sealing, social displacement, and the car-free city centre are presented and explained in graphics. This is followed by the elaboration of the concept, a timetable, descriptions of actors and the presentation of the four potential areas. In this portfolio, I am giving a little preview into the potencial areas, the social injustices and how the transformation can happen. The collages are supposed to create a little dream world of how our cities could look like.

POTENCIAL AREAS

19,6 km

Composting

P ar k a n

P ark

in g

Garden Kitchen

o dF

So-La-Wi

4,1km

Family Gardens

arde n

A ll

G nt

40,5 km

ya rd

Wa s

Bac k

d la n

26,0 km many 2

40,0 km ft o

p A

re a 19

ANALYSIS Green Spaces

Allotment gardens

Green spaces are incredibly important for a city. Ideally, they are evenly distributed and connected like a network through the city. This allows animals and pedestrians to move easily through the city, reduces pollution and noise, and allows cool air to flow through the streets.

Allotment gardens in Berlin are mostly located on public land, but are used privately and even the paths and common areas are often inaccessible or uninviting. Yet public space should be accessible and used by all.

12 000+

Applicants

Allotment Gardens per 1000 Berliner

19 12

3-5 Years

Waiting Time

877

Associations

70 953 Gardens

Green space shares by districts [%] Gesamt

Social Displacement Just like housing, green space is unfairly distributed and socially disadvantaged people have further distances to green spaces and share them with a larger neighborhood. If we create more space on the streets in densely populated neighborhoods, a new equalizing space is created that gives everyone more room to express themselves.

Forests and Parks Allotments and agriculture Interdepartmental joint initiative to strengthen socially disadvantaged neighborhoods Neighborhood management areas from 2021 Low status with stable dynamics Low status with negative dynamics

Public green space and social status are interrelated 20

Very low status with positive dynamics Very low status with stable dynamics Very low status with negative dynamics

PROCESS

POTENTIAL AREAS

Kahle Dächer

Current Situation

Unused Space Community Garden

Unzugängliche und ungenutzte Baulücken

2021 Stückweise Begrünung von unbebauten Grundstücken

Neue Dachgärten, Nachbarschaftsgärten

2026

Mehrheitlich gemeinschaftsgrüne Nutzung

Test and Experiment

Parking Space Micro Gardening Spaces

Schmale Gehwege breite Straßen

Autoverkehr dominiert das Straßenbild

2022 Grüne Stadtmöbel

Verbreiterung des öffentlichen Raums

2027

Grüne Zellen dominieren das Straßenbild

Motorisierter Individualverkehr deutlich reduziert

Implementation

Parks and Forest Biotop-Gardening Project

Monotone Vegetation

2023 Überwiegende Erhaltung von Bestandsflächen

Freigabe von Testflächen für Biotopgartenprojekte

2028 Steigerung der Artenvielfalt

Achtsame Neupflanzungen

Unbelebte Straßen

Finalization

Allotment Garden Careful Development

Große Individualparzellen, viele Zäune

2025 Öffentliche Grundstücke setzten Aufenthaltsanreize

Zusammenführen von Gärten für gemeinschaftliche Nutzung

2034 Flächendeckender Abbau von Zäunen

Behutsame Bebauung

Cultural Center Design Studio Master, 2023 Individual

Orust

How can we turn the old dairy factory into a lively place? The old diary factory is located in the middle of Orust, an island on Sweden’s west coast. The building has been unused for 40 years, but now motivated residents are trying to revive the building and our task was to support them. At the current time visitors can already find a second hand shop, a metal workshop and an apartment on the site. During the winter month there is not many people passing by, but during summer events are organized and many of the islands inhabitants and tourist will stop, participate and shop. Based on the analysis of the islands, the design formed into a cultural center, which architecture combines the old brick character with a new identity. The facade becomes a statement by using refurbished metal that mirrors the surrounding and therefor represents how invisible the building is right now. Through time the building the facades starts to rust, making it more visible, reflecting the integration of the cultural center into the island‘s life. In the future the Orust Cultural Center should not only stay a home to the current stakeholders, but also become a community place where all kind of different workshop can take place. The idea of re-using old materials and product will be reinforced, as there will be space for selfreparation and guided workshops to help transform from old to „new“. It is important to make sure that the building is not only used during summer, which is why cooperations with schools, local and regional artist, craftsmen and farmers included in the re-activation of the building.

ORIGINAL BUILDING

Facade Southwest 24

ORUST

Återbruk

towns

theatre

art gallery

cinema

art gallary theater cinema

Facade Southeast 25

rain water collection

delivery access

drop-off area and disabled parking

vegetable patch

rain water collection from the roof

outdoor area of event space

Basement

Ground Floor

Site Plan and Floorplans

Facade Northeast

Facade Northwest

PROGRAM

Thea

tre

Wint

erga

rden

Thea

tre

Quie

Thea

tre

Wint

erga

rden Quie

t Wo

rksh

Attic

Thea

tre

Thea

tre

Thea

tre

Wint

erga

rden

Thea

tre

Wint erga rden SecoQuiet nd Work Hand shop Shop

First F

loor

erga

rden Quie

t Wo

Se Hand cond Shop

L Work oud shop Cafe

rden

L Work oud shop Cafe

Wint

Cafe

Wint

erga

rden

Eve

L Work oud shop erga

L Work oud shop

Wint

erga

Even

rden

t Spa

Even

t Spa

Groun

d Flo

erga

rden Even

Se Hand cond Shop

Wint

Quie

rksh

Se Hand cond Shop

Cafe

Win

t Spa

First Floor

Attic

Bake

Mus Stud ic io

Bake

Mus Stud ic io

Base

Stor

age

Bake

ment

Mus Stud ic io Stor age

Stor

age

Mus Stud ic io Stor

age

Section

PRINCIPLES

Connectivity

Uncovering

CONCEPT The design combines three primary elements: transforming a nearly invisible building into the island‘s cultural epicenter, drawing inspiration from historical motifs and embracing the decay of its most aged section. Additionally, the island‘s natural environment seamlessly flows into the building, forging a harmonious blend of indoor and outdoor spaces while unifying the property‘s front with its back. Invisibility

Historical Inspiration

Nature

Structure

AMBITIONS

Separate program

Comprehensive Experience

Invisible

Visible

Uninviting

Inviting

Artefacts of Persistence Design Studio Master, 2022 Collaboration

Pretoria How can small-scale interventions be used to build community resilience and a sense of belonging? Plastic View is an informal settlement located in Pretoria. Housing an estimated 9 000 inhabitants, primarily economic and political refugees from its neighboring countries, this settlement stands as a contrast to the nearby luxury estates and public amenities. Expansion is restricted, which explains why the footprint of the settlement has remained stable, while it has densified considerably to accommodate the increasing population. High unemployment, lack of water and sanitation remain the most urgent problems, in addition to inadequate or absent infrastructure, education, community space for people and, making any development harder, the perpetual threat of eviction. Over our time in Pretoria, we refined our approach to address the role of communication, information flow and power dynamics within the settlement, but also to the exterior. Our aim was to identify ways to promote participation among residents, thereby instilling a sense of hope. We recognized that the residents’ attachment to their own surroundings impacts their motivation to actively uplift their community and to fight for their settlement’s continous existence. Recognizing the value of stakeholder engagement, our goal was to bridge the divide between the residents of Plastic View and external entities such as NGOs, neighboring gated communities, municipal government or new stakeholders. We followed the question: Can visualizing Plastic View’s organizational structure for the community and external entities, combined with establishing meeting spaces, help the community identify more with their environment and counteract the implications of the state of impermanence?

FIELD TRIP Over a span of six weeks, we had time to get to know Plastic View. We collaborated with the architecture students from the University of Pretoria and their seven years of previous work with the settlement set the stepping stone into our own project. Our engagement included numerous site visits, mapping exercises, dialogues with street leaders and residents, interviews with neighboring communities, consultations with involved NGOs, and meetings held at the adjacent church. Initially, we intended to conduct a comprehensive analysis during our stay in South Africa and develop strategies after the field trip. Our group, however, had the opportunity to implement some preliminary ideas on-site. The photos depict the creation of street signs and a notice board, which features a map of the neighborhood and contact details of the street leaders.

STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS University of Pretoria City of Tshwane Department of Veterinary Sciences COPC Reality Unit for Studio Urban Citizenship CCF

SA Cares for Life

Home Owners Associations

Spaza shop owners Leaders Creche

city university other externals

Estates

NGO community connected to the project

Pure Hope School HCW Moreleta PV Church Clinic LIFT Community hyper-local

local

connections between stakeholders

non-local

CYCLES OF DEVELOPMENT identifying leverage points and moments for intervention

access to land, water and sanitation

legal existence

economic stability security

certainty

permanence

legal documentation

fear of demolition, deportation, relocation

threat of demolition, deportation, relocation

ability to express identity unability to express identity

discrimination, illegal existence

ability to take action

confidence

mobilization sense of community ability for long-term development

uncertainty

lack of access to land, water and sanitation impermanence

lack of economic stability

lack of confidence

lack of action to change future

hope in future

lack of hope in future

lack of ability to take action

lack of documentation

lack of sense of community

lack of ability for long-term development

NEEDS independence

recognition

security

selfdetermination

opportunities

permanence

understanding rights

stability

sense of community

expressed

latent

mobilization

ARTEFACTS The artefacts are non-human actants that work in the intersection between the social and the physical space. They aim to create a stronger community and place identity. In our project, we want to use low-cost spatial artefacts, temporary changes or very specific enhancements to help improve the settlement´s conditions and sense of belonging through local knowledge and resources. Some artefacts have been implemented during our short time in Pretoria, others are design suggestions for the future.

Impact

Orientation Meeting Point

Identity

Connection

Cost

Scale

Time

Involvement

Water Tanks

Cost

Scale

Time

Involvement

Meeting Space

Entrance - Mural

Water Tanks

Facades

Entrance - Formalization

Street Lights

Black Boards

Street Signs

proposed Leadership Map

Notice Board

implemented

Impact

Orientation

Identity

Leadership Map

Cost

Scale

Time

Involvement

Street Signs 35

TACTICAL INTERVENTIONS • make the entrance Current state

friendlier

• clean the air • bring shade

TREES

a. social dynamics: games and leisure monopolized b. line for water supply c. no space directed to children

Interventions

MAP • guides residents and visitors

a. street signs b. foundation: space making c. organization board: information flow and networking d. shading: enabling comfort in social interactions

Further Adaptations

GARDENING SPACE • common project with external (e.g. the church) • positive representation to the outside (replaces a. repurposed space once the water tanks are out b. space for interaction is activated

the trash)

EXAMPLE: ENTRANCE The current entrance to Plastic View is perceived as unwelcoming. Both residents and external parties voice concerns about safety, with many hesitant to approach due to fears of danger and uncertainty of where to go and who to talk to. Introducing a guardhouse at the entrance can serve as a clear point of entry, providing newcomers with guidance and granting the Plastic View community an overview over visitors. There are existing worries within the settlement 36

• formalizes the entrance • gives identity • overview who is going in and out • contact person for security issues • contact person for external visitors

OFFICIAL ENTRANCE SIGN

GUARD HOUSE

SEATING AREA • safe space to wait for other people • meeting space for smaller groups

about unauthorized or potentially harmful individuals entering; a guard can monitor and manage these entries and exits. Moreover, the litter scattered around the settlement detracts from its appearance. Relocating this waste to a less conspicuous location and adding green spaces, such as gardens at the entrance, can transform the settlement’s image from one that’s seen as unclean and chaotic to one that’s organized and busy. It also

designates space to growing food that can be used by the community. By enhancing the entrance, making the settlement’s organizational structures apparent to all, and showcasing the skills of its residents like gardening and crafting, there’s an opportunity to bolster community pride and respect from outsiders. These interventions can transform the entrance into a bridge that facilitates positive interactions between Plastic View’s residents and the external world. 37

Transitional Spaces Design Studio Bachelor, 2021 Collaboration

Berlin

How to transform an old bus stop into a community space for the neighborhood? Once a destination for departure, now a spot to simply be present. In this design, we ask ourselves questions about how to deal with the recent architectural past. How do we recall the time of the car centered city as a model, the time of the highway bus of West Berlin, without endorsing the vision of the concrete, air-polluted city? In our case, we let the spirit of the bus stop come to life, surrounded and overgrown by nature, as a shelter with a quality of stay, hiding away from the from the unsettled environment, yet powerfully resisting it. Encapsulating itself on one side and inviting on the other.

The property, unfortunately positioned amidst highways, presents a unique opportunity. By enclosing the old concrete structure with a greenhouse, we not only embrace the nearby highway but also establish a serene oasis beneath the bridge where individuals can relax, shielded from the hustle and bustle of traffic. Given that the location isn‘t on anyone‘s usual route, it was crucial to design an exceptional space, compelling enough to entice visitors to come into this vehicle-dominated area. The area lays between two distinct neighborhoods: an upper class, well-connected one to the south and a more isolated, working-class community to the north. Ensuring to offer services and cultural events for the northern residents was vital. However, the space is designed to foster unity, welcoming members from both communities and encouraging shared experiences.

Facade

e East

PROGRAM Quiet Workshop Gallery | Library Active Workshop Flexible Area Bar Kitchen Café

Entrance

Community Garden

CONCEPT

FLOORPLANS

The remnants of old highway bus stops, about 10 in total, still linger in the city, though they’ve been out of use for decades. They stand as silent witnesses to a time when Berlin was split in two. The initial design concept sought to amplify this haunting quality, transforming the building into a tangible phantom of its history. By employing polycarbonate, not only is the tranquility inside preserved from the less appealing exterior views, but the structure also faintly emerges through the new facade, evoking the essence of a ghost.

Basement

Ground Floor

Floor

2. Floor

FACADES AND SECTIONS

View North

Section North

View West

Section West 44

MATERIAL

Concrete

Polycarbonate

Timber

Prototype Models Design Studio Bachelor, 2017-2021 Collaborations

Berlin

Using model building as a way to design. Model building, while seemingly elementary, can servesas an impotant in the design process. It transforms abstract concepts into tangible representations, bridging the gap between ideation and realization. Throughout the my bachelor education, this hands-on approach to design gave me a profound understanding of spatial relationships, material behavior and inspiration on how to get started with a project. In this last chapter, I collected a variety of these mostly conceptual models, which show the creative process behind the beginning stages of the designs. Beyond aestetic values, these models often acted as the primary tools for iterative design adjustments, real-time problemsolving and effective communication of ideas. Through the projects showcased here, I aim to underline the importance of model building in shaping an architect’s perspective and the potential it holds in refining design solutions.

PLAYGROUND FOR ALL

The challenge with our prototypes was to build a stable, but flexible structure, which is used as a play, - seating and activity area for all age groups. The result was a movable climbing wall that can be moved into new positions as needed. Basically, it was very exciting to see what happens when you take several geometric shapes or when you commit to the triangle. How can you put these shapes together so that they not only give an overall aesthetic appearance, but also function? Building the model was 48

Final Prototype

already associated with many challenges, but thinking about which technical means would it take to make a translation on a 1:1 scale possible was a tricky task. In the model, as well as on a large scale, the climbing wall is built of wood. The connections are made of metal and must be able to absorb forces at several angles and still be movable. To make climbing possible, there are holes in the wood, which have different distances and thus create different levels of difficulty.

GRID INDEX

These projects were about experiencing how space can behave. What happens when you move space? How do the shapes change and how does the effect change? We started by drawing patterns, which were then transformed into different reliefs based on the shapes of the drawings. Finally, the relief was translated into a positive and a negative cube on a three-dimensional layer. These two sculptures needed to fit into each other. The purpose of these spaces was irrelevant in the process. 49

SASKIA LANGBEIN Technische Universität Berlin Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya ETSAB Chalmers Tekniska Högskola