Competition Landshut

The new neighbourhood lies at the interface between small-scale development of single-family and multi-family houses and 4- to 5-storey housing structures from the post-war period. In the south, the old tree population mediates with the open space of the Isar. The building block to be planned also consists of very simple row buildings with little hierarchy in the open space.

Traces of the residents in the existing, south-facing courtyard situations reveal these as frequented outdoor areas. These qualities are further developed in the new ensemble. On Breslauer Straße, a central entrance plaza as the address of the new residential development links to the urban space and forms the prelude to a sequence of spaces towards the natural space of the Isar. An inviting courtyard space is formed via the new head buildings on the existing building and on the eastern structure. In the course of this sequence of spaces, a differentiated interior area of the residential complex is created in interaction with the buildings.

The ensemble of the three building blocks is composed of a few simple bodies: Row buildings (similar to the existing buildings), head buildings and the massive bodies in between. This massive development core forms a kind of joint between the heads and the rows.

The existing building is raised and thus has 4 storeys, the same as the adjoining new head building facing the street. The transition to the small-scale development is achieved through the profiling and the staggered heights of the building blocks in the east. The point-like building block in the south with 5 storeys takes advantage of the good residential location to the Isar area and the possible building rights.

The massive stair cores in the new buildings provide very efficient access to multiple floors; the long building block in the east functions in part via an arcade access.

Access to the residential buildings is consistently via the communal courtyard, which thus becomes the meeting place and focal point of the neighbourhood. The entrances to the houses are located in the elevated ground floors of the head buildings. This protected space offers additional space for bicycles, prams, workshops, the community room and is an enrichment for the community and the courtyard life.

A key aspect of the project is the avoidance of the costly construction of a basement and underground car park. This is compensated for by duplex garages and storage spaces on the ground floor. The development is minimised and an existing staircase is also used. The buildings are planned in timber construction with solid staircase cores made of prefabricated reinforced concrete elements.