Competition Gämsenberg

SITUATION AND CONCEPT
The project completes, with the best possible density today, the existing development of the Gämsenberg into a garden city of tomorrow. At the same time, the Ludwigsburg housing estate is given an appropriate conclusion at the edge of the slope. Like a chain, the individual buildings are strung together to form a whole, forming green and public courtyards. The new houses are almost identical, and by mirroring and twisting the buildings, different interspaces are created that allow views and neighbourly relations.

The new development is woven into the slope in such a way that the taller buildings relate as a matter of course to the development on Schlösslesweg. Here in the south, a generous open space is created that links the quarter with the neighbourhood and can be used by everyone. The position of the buildings and their precisely developed geometry open up wide, attractive views from the depths of the landscape to the Neckar. Clear communal outdoor spaces, rich perspectives, surprising spatial relationships, finely meshed entrances and a diverse range of housing types form the basis for a garden quarter worth living in.

SPACES AND PLACES
Along Gemsenbergstraße, the polygonal buildings invite the visitor into the neighbourhood via widenings and activated front zones. They integrate the existing trees and follow the topography or form terraces. The existing qualities of the hillside site are further developed into places to stay. These widened areas provide access to the houses, which are places characterised by communal public life.
In the south, as a counterpart to the enclosed courtyard spaces between the buildings, a coherent large open space is created.

OPEN SPACE
The open spaces of the new residential quarter form the link between the Hungerberg Landscape Park and the Hartenecker Feld. To the south of the new development, an open, wide green connection is created that links the two landscape areas.
A sparse grove of native deciduous trees complements the existing trees in the east and loosely surrounds the southern boundary of the site. Here, the existing garden structures are preserved and are also to be used in the future for communal gardening in small plots

TYPOLOGIES AND HOUSING
Due to the polygonality of the houses, the flats are oriented on several sides and thus offer a very high quality of living with a strong connection to the landscape. In this way, it is possible to create a balance of orientations in the flats: to the south towards the sun and to the north towards the spectacular view over the Neckar. The polygonal houses are generally accessed via a central core as 3 and 4 storeys. The longer development on Neckarstrasse will have two analogously functioning head buildings and, in between, flats with staircases on the "noisy" side of the street. These are organised as three-storey buildings with two through flats and a small flat on the quiet courtyard side.
The floor plans are mostly rectangular despite the polygonal building geometry. The flowing living, dining and cooking spaces balance out the free geometries and thus become spatially extraordinary.