Small village tour Loffenau Waterfalls, Pfarrberg, Adlerstube, Laufbach relocation

Design of various interconnected open spaces in a Black Forest community.
The project received an award in 2009 for "Exemplary Building" in Baden-Baden and the Rastatt district. The Pfarrberg as part of the overall ensemble also received a special prize from the BDLA in the state competition "Our village has a future".

In the Black Forest and the foothill zone there are many municipalities with great potential in the field of open space development. The relationship to the surrounding landscape represents a unique quality that should be used for the population and visitors. In Loffenau this has been recognised and in recent years a remarkably consistent local development has been set in motion and driven forward. Project studies showed the feasibility and the financial framework conditions and led to concrete planning steps and their consistent implementation. As a result, four coherent open space architectures have been created in the meantime. They are based on an overall concept that has taken up the possibilities of section-by-section open space development along the Laufbach, which characterizes the village, in the context of the structural and landscape features of this beautiful Black Forest village and is now accessible to visitors in the "small village round".

Waterfalls

The townscape of the community of Loffenau is strongly influenced by the Laufbach flowing through it. Below the western exit of the village, the Laufbach falls as a waterfall down into the valley. In order to give this worth seeing spectacle more significance, a hiking trail was created which leads steeply down into the valley and crosses the Laufbach with the help of a footbridge shortly after the waterfall. Gabions were used as path underpinning for the steep descent. A few good elements, such as the footbridge or the granite steps used for the descent, set the scene without overshadowing the effect of the waterfall.

Pfarrberg

The Pfarrberg in Loffenau was a storm-damaged, formerly wooded, steep slope before its redesign in 2004. A steep path led transversely up it, neither comfortable nor inviting, in addition there were isolated slope-parallel trails into the grove. This is a "gallery zone" close to the village centre with views of the village and surrounding countryside, south-facing and with good connectivity to a footpath system. The "valorisation" of this open space was to be achieved by
creating new, comfortable and interesting pathways uphill and parallel to the slope with a connection to the cemetery.
Exposure and presentation of the biological potential through the creation of light and shade zones (already prepared by the storm "Lothar") and information about flora and fauna creation of transitions and highlights as well as rest and dwell zones.
But above all, the relationship to the magnificent surrounding Black Forest landscape was to be established. Here it lent itself to crowning the high point of the Pfarrberg with a round pergola and thus making it visible from afar - overgrown with climbing plants, like a green temple. With the footbridge and the lateral stone and flower garden - rhododendrons bloom here in May - and the transition to the funeral hall and the cemetery, further places of experience and links are created, and at the western end of the slope is a dreamy seating area with a view of the mill pond.
Designed details such as natural stone dry stone walls and steps to the metal structures for the display boards, as well as a high-quality planting give the distinctive character of the place.
(This received a special prize from the BDLA in 2009 as part of the competition process "Our village has a future")

Adlerstube

To increase the attractiveness of the village for visitors, Loffenau also supports investment in the area of gastronomy. The "Adlerstube" is a community-owned, leased restaurant in the building of the festival hall. It should be made more fit for summer excursionists, which is why the outdoor area of the restaurant was upgraded with café terraces and a beer garden. The previously unusable, sloping meadow area was terraced with granite steps, paved with gravel lawn and partially planted with lime trees, so that there are now also shady places in the summer. A small music stage allows music and theatre performances, in the spirit of the classical "theatro verde". In this way, the adjacent spa garden could also be included.

Run brook relocation

In a second construction phase of the run brook green train the upper section was realized, where the run brook, which had been hollowed out until then, comes to the surface.
The open run brook was here partly directly attached or the use took place up to directly to the bank. Also by bank stabilizations, weirs and falls the running brook was partially very strongly changed.
Realized was a moving away of the brook from the existing development by up to 14 m to the north and a new profiling, which permits a self-development of the brook within this profile. In addition, design improvements for the adjoining green spaces were brought to bear.
A stream-accompanying path with seating now improves the experience of the watercourse from the public green space adjoining to the north. Play facilities and access to the water are now also possible here. The stream exit from the daw and the re-emergence under the bridge at the Kirchhaldenpfad were also designed. The ecological significance and the permeability of the watercourse were improved by the formation of a near-natural riparian fringe on both sides, the removal of various weirs and falls, and by the design and maintenance of the riverbed.