In Worpswede, home to the most significant artists‘ colony in northern Germany, a new residential quarter has been developed. In cooperation with the local investor, we developed a contemporary settlement concept as an alternative to the usual, uniform estates on the suburban periphery.

Modern architecture and an urban planning concept that promotes a social and solidarity-based neighbourhood community for all ages were important tasks, as well as high demands on climate and environmental protection for sustainable building and living. Twenty semi-detached houses, six terraced houses, and five apartment buildings each with four units have been built, arranged in groups around communal courtyards. At the core of the site, there is a community centre that houses an assisted living residence for senior citizens as well as a children’s daycare centre.

The estate‘s common design idea – striking shed and mono-pitch roofs and uniform materiality with visible timber elements in the façade – lends an unmistakable identity that is both homogeneous and distinctive. The terraced and semi-detached houses are planned in biologically tested timber construction complying with the KFW 55 standard and can thus be prefabricated cost-effectively and erected within a few days.