Page 113 - AIT0724_E-Paper

designed? What does the private and the public mean for a building and how is it reflected in a plan?
These questions also preoccupied us in the Hochbord project. The spatial answers were developed
through many studies, models and discussions.

Glazed greenhouse structures and spatial diversity

Three building forms enclose a communal inner courtyard: a four-storey, striking head building, an
angled three-storey wing building and a nine-storey main building. The head building is slightly
angled to create a clear entrance to the courtyard and to welcome pedestrians and cyclists moving
along the railway line. The lower and narrower wing building extends parallel to the railway tracks. It
protects the main building from noise emitted by the railway through the glazed greenhouse structures
erected on the rooftop. These also serve as the identity-forming part of the site, as they are a reminder
of the site’s history as a market garden. The 96 newly created flats, which feature various layouts and
sizes, are an important part of the project. The different typologies offer a diverse range of housing
types and allow for a broad mix of residents. Larger flats are located in the lower and deeper part
of the main building, while the smaller flats are arranged in the upper, narrower part. Large cluster Die Räume der Wohnungen sind anpassbar ... • The rooms of the flats can be adapted ...
flats are situated in the wing building, which are rented by a foundation that makes this living space
available to people with disabilities. The head building accommodates units that can be used for both ... an sich wandelnde Bedürfnisse und umnutzbar. • ... to changing needs or repurposed.
commercial and residential purposes. The entire project was developed as a flexible column-slab
structure. The floor plans were designed with non-load-bearing walls, and the rooms on the ground
floor are characterised by generous ceiling heights so that they can be used as both commercial and
residential spaces. The building structure facilitates long-term adaptability to changing needs.

Threshold spaces for horticultural activities and events

Another essential part is the communal areas. These aim to create an environment where residents can
interact, collaborate and develop a sense of belonging. We think of these communal areas as threshold
spaces – areas that form the transition from the public to the private realm and offer varying degrees of
openness and intimacy. These threshold spaces are places where residents can get involved and help
shape the living environment. A house association, the so-called Hofrat, which was founded for the
estate, manages and programmes these communal spaces. With the concept of “non-finito”, an attempt
was made not to over-define certain areas in the planning process, but to allow room for interpretation
regarding their use and appropriation by the residents. One example of this is the semi-public roof ter-
race of the wing building, which is accessible via internal staircases and a public staircase in the inner
courtyard. Neighbourhood events and communal gardening activities can take place on this all-round
level. This intermediate level also houses music rooms and two so-called flex rooms, which can be
booked individually so that residents can use them as studios or guest rooms, for example.

Design of the new building picks up on the horticultural past

On the ground floor, the places where pedestrians arrive are occupied by public and communal
uses. The small neighbourhood square in the south, for instance, is framed by a catering use in the
head building and a workshop at the front side of the main building as well as the open staircase
to the elevated level. The multipurpose room is located at the courtyard passages in the north. The
courtyard itself serves as a central meeting point for the residents. The entrances to the houses are
also via this meeting place. The communal gardens along the western pedestrian and cycle path are
another open space that ties in with the history of the site and is located at the interface between
the public and private spheres. The aim was to create outdoor spaces with different qualities that
encourage appropriation and thus identification with the neighbourhood. Although Westhof Düben-
dorf is a newly constructed ensemble, the architectural language and choice of materials reflect the
site’s horticultural past. The idea of living on a site formerly used as a market garden is an essential
part of the project’s identity. The expression of the building and the materialisation also take up
this theme. The façade is made of large-format corrugated Eternit panels, a familiar feature of com-
mercial buildings in the neighbourhood. The waves create a dynamic interplay of light and shadow.
The joints of the panel cladding are visible, giving the large structure a sense of scale and delicate
expression. The façade also provides a habitat for birds. Nesting aids for six bird species and for
bats are integrated into the project. In collaboration with specialists, we have designed birdhouses
for some of them, which the residents can build themselves in the workshop and integrate into the
chimney roofs designed for them. Due to the proximity to the railway tracks, acoustic aspects were
of crucial importance. Soundproof glazing was installed on the third floor of the side wing and the
greenhouse structures were designed to protect the inner courtyard from noise. At the same time, the
structures provide climbing aids and opportunities to install shading elements. Functional necessities
are reinterpreted and give the site a specific poetic quality. Skizzen • Sketches

AIT 7/8.2024 • 113