Outdoor facilities residential and commercial buildings Jöllenbecker Str. 129, Albert-Schweitzer-Str. 2-6 in Bielefeld

Opposite the new administrative building of Freie Scholle, three rows of multi-storey residential buildings in clinker brick construction were built between 2012 and 2014. The four-storey building at the intersection of Jöllenbecker Strasse and Albert-Schweitzer-Strasse with apartments, services, offices and retail space forms the spatial end to the four-lane Jöllenbecker Strasse. Between this and the two other three-storey buildings along Albert-Schweitzer-Strasse, which are reserved exclusively for residential use, there are inner courtyards designed by our office. In addition to a simple choice of materials and restrained colors as well as a design language based on the polygonality of the buildings, special attention was paid to the planting plan. The umbrella-shaped solitary shrubs in the paved areas and flowing plantings of shrubs and grasses break up the geometry of the paved areas. Natural stone seating blocks surrounded by hedges and benches invite people to linger. The particular challenge was to integrate access roads, fire department entrances and bypasses, waste garbage cans, bicycle sheds and energy facilities into the multifunctional spaces while ensuring accessibility. The semi-public, residential and representative atmosphere creates an exceptional quality of stay and living in the inner courtyards, which are separated from the street by walls.