A SKYSCRAPER FOR JULIA, PAUL AND LISELOTTE (Frankfurt am Main, Germany)

High-rise Develompment Plan of Frankfurt am Main:
Today Frankfurt’s urban identity is shaped by the skyline of its high-rise buildings. Frankfurt is the only European city that emphasizes its high-rise silhouette as a plakative vision for a metropolis of the next century. The skyline city shape, is the symbol of a spatially very concentrated city. This concentration allows easily for associations such as the loving and at the same time proud “Mainhatten” as it is used by the people of Frankfurt. Frankfurt is not a city, where high-rise exists among other buildings, but today a city of high-rise. The possibility to extend the inner city locations (for example with the new building of the European Central Bank in the former Grossmarkthalle by Coop Himmelb(l)au) will consolidate Frankfurt’s local advantages and offers new potentials for further developments. Frankfurt is an important hub of the European and international traffic system with the Rhein – Main Airport, the Inter City Express high speed train intersection, and the interchange of freeways A3 and A5.

The “Bauherrengemenschaft” (community of private builders):
A “Bauherrengemeinschaft” is a union of several private developers working together - for own use or hire – to plan and build apartments, detached houses, commercial and public areas.
The user can thus, in contrast to real estate developments contribute in the planning phase. In a community of private builders future users have many design options in their own unity and the communal areas. The planning process and the construction phase may already cause a good neighborhood.  Especially people and groups who want to live in a household with far-reaching community structures such as a multi-generational houses, particular ideological or environmental orientations, can set up a Bauherrengemeinschaft.

The assignment:
We know already a lot of fascinating examples of “Bauherrengemeinschaften” by row houses or bigger apartment buildings. But how should such a model look like if we want to adapt it to high-rise buildings. What kind of structure do we need to fulfil the special qualities of high-rise housing and what kind of flexibility is needed in this new typology.

Design a prototype housing high-rise building of  on a specific location in Frankfurt which is based on the ideals of the “Bauherrengemeinschaft “.
Study on scale model of Frankfurt

Course contents

Competencies:
In this urban nomads program you will develop 3 professional competences: Concept, Urban Design and Urban Strategy

During 12 weeks  you will work continuously and integral on these competences. You work individual and you will get weekly feedback in classes on your products. This project includes 1 design week in Frankfurt am Main and a final presentation.

Feedback on products:
Once a  week (see schedule) you get individual feedback on the design products in the studio of urban nomads. Feedback is at the Saxion University of applied sciences in Deventer on Thursdays from 17:00 o’clock

Design weeks:
In the design week (14.04 – 17.04) we will visit the location of the new skyscraper in Frankfurt am Main. We will visit the DAM (Deutsches Architektur Museum) and we will have a excursion to the existing skyscrapers by bike. A workshop with lectures will be organized where you get input, feedback and work on your concept.

Final presentation:
At the end of the course you present your project to professionals.

Portfolio assessment, certification:
After the final presentation your portfolio will be accessed by certificated assessors on the 3 competences. You will receive a certificate.

Schedule

Concept schedule (April –June 2015)
                     April                                                                   May  / June
week 14      project introduction                              week 18     urban design / urban strategy
week 15      portfolio                                                   week 20    urban design / urban strategy
week 16      design week / concept                        week 22     final presentation
week 17      urban design / urban strategy            week 23    portfolio assessment          
Skyline Frankfurt

Partners

Saxion University of Applied Sciences, department of urban design
Dipl. Ing. Felix Novak, architect, Frankfurt
DAM, Frankfurt

Design week

The design week is in week 16 in Frankfurt. Tuesday we will start by visiting the skyscraper exhibition in the DAM. The next day we will go by bike to visit the existing clusters and the project location. We have a workshop in Frankfurt to develop a concept and you will get input from experts. On Friday you will present your concept of a stacked urban villa building.

Results

Final presentation of your urban design:
3 A1  / A0 posters  to be submitted both on paper an in digital form. This posters give insight in your concept,  your design strategy and the design of the skyscraper.
1 Plan of urban context in 1:1000, ground floor plans in 1:500 and 1:200, sections in 1:500
1 model in 1:500

A personal portfolio assessment:           
A successful final presentation allows you to get a portfolio assessment of 3 professional  competences (Concept, Urban Design and Urban Strategy). The results of this assessment will be certificated.
Sketch by Vera Staats

Sign in

Period:
april - june 2015

Work load:
20 hours per week

Costs
€ 3800.-