top of page
Wohnen am Stationsweg
Germany, Mönchengladbach
Conceptual idea
Collectivity and neighborship with a rural character. That is the guiding principle of our design. We were inspired by the classic “Kleingärten(allotment gardens)” in the direct surroundings. The residential area will attract people of all ages and phases of live who consciously choose a home in a green, eco-friendly and safe environment. You do not just choose a house, but also a lifestyle that combines individuality and collectivity in an almost car-free area. The plots, with varying sizes, provide a flexible framework for various building typologies. At the same time, people share as much as possible. A network of small-scale collective in- and outdoor spaces and play facilities, both within the residential area as in the landscape park, contribute to a green and relaxed settlement.
For the Competition Stationsweg Monchengladbach Döll Architecten asked us to join a design team with Karres+Brands. The assignment was to design an innovative neighborhood and a landscape park in the outskirts of Monchengladbach; the rural area between the former towncenters of Hamern and Venn. Out of 5 teams we won the second prize.
Collectivity and Neighborship
Landscape plan, the rural playground
Housing plan, Collectivity and Neighborship
Landscape park; the rural playground
The planning area, with bicycle and footpaths, is part of a development strategy for a city network and connects to the Gladbachtal. This green corridor currently consists of a mixture of different landscape typologies and functions and connects the town centers around Mönchengladbach. We envision the rural playground as a piece of a puzzle in a sequence of different neighborhood parks along the corridor. The rural playground is an example of how the individual spaces along this corridor can evolve in the future.
The landscape park also reflects the surrounding agricultural landscape. The individual areas have different vegetation and are inspired by the rural farmland. They should be further detailed in close dialogue with the local residents, the main users of the land. An intense area, with small (vegetable)gardens, resting places for elderly people and game elements for kids, connects the two town centers east and west of the park.
Housing plan; Collectivity and Neighborship
The new residential neighborhood is characterized by a clear parceling and a simple set of rules. The main idea is that the mostly free-standing houses are situated on the back of the plot so the green(garden) of the private land is in the foreground. On top of that roads are materialized as unpaved paths. This results in an enormous amount of “green” space. To make sure that cars will not disrupt this effect, they will be parked in two collective “hubs”, on a maximum three minute walk from the houses. Now the cars are parked in a collective space, the aim is to share cars with your neighbors as much as possible. In the future these cars will be electrical charged and will be able to “power the hub” or “take power from the hub”. A flexible exchange of energy will take place. Around the hub other collective facilities like a workshop or bed&breakfast are planned.
The green car-free neighborhood invites children to play outside and hikers to pass by. Centrally in the planning area the paths come together on a central town square with a collective nature swimming pool and sauna.
Project data:
Location:
Assignment
Design:
Status:
​
Team:
​
In collaboration with:
Mönchengladbach (DE)
Urban plan, Houses
2018
Competition design,
2nd place
Niels Olivier, Henk Döll,
Ioana Tsouka
Coido Architects,
Döll Architecten,
Karres en Brands
Similar projects:
Housing
Urban Planning
Housing
bottom of page