The public circulation pattern is continued there through the open space concept and the neighbourhood centre with restaurants, which forms the centre of the neighbourhood. Designed as part of the urban planning concept, the flight of steps in front of the building serves as a meeting place for residents and visitors alike. Approaching from Heinrich-Baumann-Strasse, the stairs provide direct access to the quarter. The area below the quarter square is also used: A mobility hub that provides shared mobility and other mobility services is to be installed in the basement.

Architecture

Block A, and Block E, consist of three parts: an angular, five-storey timber hybrid building with a timber-concrete composite ceiling, which forms the entrance. The middle section has been designed as a central building of six, and eight stories, respectively, which comprises a concrete skeleton structure. The entire extension is a timber construction. Due to the height of the building, it corresponds to other high buildings in the neighbourhood and acts as a central point of orientation. The third section, facing Heinrich-Baumann-Strasse, relates to the adjacent existing buildings regarding their cubature and building height and also comprises a timber hybrid construction.

The neighbourhood centre is an existing building that is to be preserved as far as possible for reasons of sustainability and will therefore only be demolished down to the second storey. A timber construction with a vertical lamella structure is built on top of this. This creates additional space that can also be used for eateries. The front of the building opens up towards the centre of the quarter, creating a strong tie that connects the surrounding buildings.

To minimise the impact on natural resources, the building materials and constructions are intended to be as durable and environmentally friendly as possible. Thus, in some areas, timber-concrete composite ceilings and, where structurally possible, recycled concrete ( which can also be used in the basement floors because of the low reactivity of the concrete) or blast furnace cement (CEM III) are used.

Housing typologies
A flexible building structure was planned to allow for different types of use and residential typologies. All three parts of the building are therefore characterized by their floor plans: Internal access cores allow for different building depths and almost all floorplans can be nested to facilitate ideal lighting and ventilation conditions. Both the front and the rear of the residential units gain thus in quality. Depending on the orientation, the shape and size of the apartment may vary.

This effect is supported by so-called “switch rooms”, which make it possible to convert apartments from three to four rooms. This not only enriches the range of apartments on offer, but also gives the façade on the north side a vitality that radiates to the center of the district. The project provides for both social housing and privately rented accommodation, which are indistinguishable in terms of quality and coexist in the neighbourhood on an equal footing and as a matter of course.

Outdoor facilities
Shared roof terraces directly connected to the terrace rooms make the green spaces an intense experience and also offer space for various activities. These areas are bordered by intensive greening or raised beds. The design of the block courtyards also follows a simple, coherent principle: While the public areas around the blocks have an urban and architectural appearance, the inner courtyards are designed to have a scenic and gentle character. The side facing the courtyard forms a sort of green room. A scaffold attached to the façade not only serves as a support for balconies, but also as a trellis for all plants.