Residential environment Schorfheideviertel - charrette and redesign Berlin-Marzahn

After the demolition of five building blocks with a total of 262 apartments in the Schorfheideviertel in Berlin-Marzahn, generous open spaces were created in the interior of the neighborhood. Initially, some fear spread among the remaining residents of the quarter. In order to make the best possible use of the vacated spaces and to re-establish a sense of community among the residents, a public charrette on the future of the Schorfheideviertel was held in 2007. More than 200 people took part in the process and, together with the planning team from ts redaktion and gruppe F and local stakeholders, developed ideas for subsequent use.

The residents of the neighbourhood came up with the brilliant idea: "Let's make the Schorfheide the model for the design of our urban neighbourhood". As a result, mounds up to three meters high were modeled and adapted to the existing topography. Parking spaces were partly removed, replaced by mounds and planted with lawn, with tall grasses and large pines accentuating the hilltops. In spring, tulips add a pop of color to the hills. An additional 24 so-called MufuBoxes (multifunctional boxes) were created, which, arranged like a flock of sheep in the Schorfheide, can be used by the tenants as a garage, storage space for equipment or hobby room. The stag was chosen by the residents as an ironic image and identification figure and can be found in the form of concrete sculptures by artist Jörg Schlinke in the Schorfheide quarter. gruppe F won the German Landscape Architecture Award 2011 for the design.

Special Prize Living EnvironmentGerman Landscape Architecture Award 2011

Jury verdict: Due to harsh social cuts also in this urban redevelopment, the residents were intensively involved in the planning of the existing and newly created open spaces after the demolition of some buildings. What normally leads to an accumulation of many ideas without internal cohesion, here becomes a surprising result that reaches far beyond other procedures. Here the planners seem not only to have moderated, but also to have designed.

The local knowledge and wishes were implemented with a nature-oriented, landscape-inspired idea: "We bring the Schorfheide to Marzahn". The modelled park landscape, designed with pines and grasses, became a strong, memorable image as the lowest common denominator, which remains open to many uses and can be appropriated in a self-evident way. The reduction to a strong design idea allows the integration of various other measures.

In an art competition, the residents deal with the wildlife of the Schorfheide and exaggerate the design approach. In so-called multifunctional boxes, spaces are offered that the residents wanted for individual activity. They set a new standard in their function, but also in their play with the large-volume residential buildings. With the active participation, neighbourly networks could be formed, and with the strong design idea, a new piece of home was created.