Building boldly for a future worth living

The central design idea of our competition entry is the development of the Reese barracks into a new district that creates identity and builds on neighbourhoods. The existing potential is to be tapped, requirements harmonised, and the shape of the Reese barracks rounded off. The northern part is designated for educational purposes, while a mixed-use neighbourhood is developed in the southern part. The Abraxas Cultural Center serves as an interface and magnet for the entire neighbourhood.

The West Park, a prominent open space, is located right at the doorstep. Rectangular fields form the edges of the park around the open space in the west. The new area in the east of the park also adopts this motif. Three new urban blocks are generated, inserting themselves into the park: The Knowledge Quarter with an education hub and a learning landscape, the Abraxas Cultural Center, and the Reese Neighbourhoods in the south, all with their own identities derived from themes such as community, climate, culture, nature, mobility, and energy. The building blocks are linked by the Reese Boulevard, a strong open space framework that brings new public spaces to the edge of the park by means of heterogeneous public squares.

The neighbourhood square on the boulevard is the new heart of the neighborhood. Starting from the existing grove of trees, preserved as a testament to the former barracks and expanded with retention areas, four building plots define the open space. On the park terraces, two patio houses provide flats with views of the park; shared terraces on the ground floor and on the roof promote a sense of community.

The garden field consists of a small-scale mix of detached buildings, featuring both tall and low parts with sloping roofs used for energy generation. Various forms of living are possible in the Kreativhof thanks to the different dimensions of the buildings. Towards the courtyard, a vertical garden layer is formed from the first floor to the roof along the facade. The building structure of the Wohnwerkstatt provides space for businesses, workshops, and studios on the lower ground floors. The upper floors will provide living space that allows for classic forms of living but also, for example, experimental open-plan living.

Project information

Name: Resse Kaserne Augsburg

Type: Urban development realization competition

Location: Augsburg

Year: 2021

Collaboration: Treibhaus Landschaftsarchitektur

Team: Jana Melber, Ellen Henriques

Visualization: asp