Competition entry for the cooperative housing project of Kooperative Großstadt:

 

What kind of world should Freimundo be?

Freimundo is the antithesis to a form of individualism that is defined by „my house, my garden, my car“. The building is a relational structure that offers a wide variety of communal places and spaces in addition to the individual area of the core flat. The residents have the freedom to help shape the relationship between the block and the city, between the private, the communal and the public, the interior and exterior spaces, the present and the future, and to realise different life plans side by side on an equal footing.

 

Three players

Joints break through the block in two places and divide Freimundo into three well-proportioned and clearly structured buildings. The three urban players articulate the edges and corners of the block. With a gallery storey above the 8th floor, the north-eastern corner forms a high point.

 

A lucky coincidence

The two joints mark the addresses of the apartments. Their arrangement prevents poorly lit interior corners and ensures good ventilation of the block. On every second floor, the stairwells open onto a deck, the uses of which are negotiated by the respective sub-communities and can vary in their temporal sequence. Wide arcades on the courtyard side connect all three players to form a structure. Both the vertical and horizontal circulation are overlaid with communal uses.

 

The ground floor as a threshold space

The ground floor serves as an urban base for commercial and communal uses. The east side is a threshold space between the inner courtyard and Grüne Gasse. The comedor, hub and workshop are located here with a terrace in front. The residents can decide for themselves how permeable the threshold space should be. Depending on the current use, the Hub can be opened up to the courtyard or the alleyway, or even on both sides.

 

Individual retreat

All apartments are interspersed and oriented to two sides. The different apartment types are distributed across the three building volumes, creating a good mix within the block. Thanks to the robust structure, the mix of apartments can be changed at a later date without major structural work. All apartments in the east and south wings will have loggias. In the north wing, whose arcades are less frequented, these will become outdoor areas that are clearly assigned to the apartments and face south.

 

Combined rooms

The combination rooms are integrated into the building structure as extremely flexible rooms at neuralgic points. They have three entrances, their own bathroom and the option of installing a kitchenette. Direct access from the arcade allows the rooms to be used independently of the apartments. The two side entrances ensure that they can be switched within the apartment mix and in accordance with the funding guidelines. Almost 60% of the apartments have access to a combination room.

 

Garden courtyard

In the garden, meandering paths flow smoothly into areas of vegetation. The planting of slender trees with lush foliage, shrubs, perennials and grasses creates sub-areas with different spatial qualities that offer both communal areas and places of retreat. In places, the establishment of spontaneous vegetation is encouraged in order to establish a diverse planting structure with high ecological value. Children’s play islands are embedded in the meandering structure. In the middle, a long table with benches forms a central meeting point.

 

Green alley

In contrast to the courtyard, the design of the green lane is linear. Urban climate-tolerant tree species provide shade and create a pleasant microclimate. As rainwater gardens, the green spaces form an important component of the green-blue infrastructure. Retention areas planted with shrubs and grasses collect and seep away rainwater. There are islands at the edges that invite people to linger.

 

 

South slope

The „Südhang“ is a sequence of rooms with different characteristics, beginning with the garden room as a light greenhouse construction. In front of this is an outdoor space surrounded by plants, which can be either a square or a stage. From there, a large staircase leads to the next level up. For cinema evenings, public viewing or even theater performances, the staircase becomes a grandstand. On the upper roof terrace, plant troughs invite you to grow herbs and vegetables.