Schorfheideviertel residential area - charrette and redesign Berlin-Marzahn

After the demolition of five blocks of buildings with a total of 262 apartments in the Schorfheideviertel in Berlin-Marzahn, generous open spaces were created inside the neighborhood. Initially, there was some fear among the remaining residents of the neighborhood. In 2007, a public charrette on the future of the Schorfheideviertel was held to make the best possible use of the vacant areas and to strengthen the sense of community among the residents. More than 200 people took part in this process and, together with the planning team from ts redaktion and gruppe F as well as local stakeholders, developed ideas for the subsequent use of the area.

The residents of the district came up with the brilliant idea: "Let's make the Schorfheide the model for the design of our urban district." As a result, mounds of earth up to three meters high were modelled and adapted to the existing topography. Some of the parking spaces were removed, replaced by mounds and planted with grass, with tall grasses and large pine trees accentuating the hilltops. In spring, tulips give the hills a splash of color. In addition, 24 so-called MufuBoxes (multifunctional boxes) were built, which, arranged like a flock of sheep in the Schorfheide, can be used by the tenants as a garage, storage room for equipment or hobby room. The deer 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 district. gruppe F won the 2011 German Landscape Architecture Award 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.