‘Wohnen in Potsdam Krampnitz’

The competition sought ideas for the conversion of the 'Krampnitz' area, an old military barracks and adjacent 83-hectare plot that borders a forest to the North, farmland to the West, and suburban development to the Southeast. Our goal is to incorporate the values of these landscapes into a complex, diverse, and dense urban fabric that is also porous, with a low ecological footprint and a human scale. We highlight 3 urban scenarios that define the character of the new neighborhood, each associated with characteristic uses, different types of open spaces, and various building types:

THE BOULEVARD

In a suburban-rural context, it represents the element of urban concentration of the new neighborhood: density and a mix of functions are confined in a more continuous building, both in closed and open blocks, constructing the commercial and service facade of the boulevard, which accommodates the tram line, collective parking, and regional bus stops.

THE PARK

We do not define a closed-design open space, but rather a canvas on which to apply a palette of landscaping tools, based on water management, groundwater level control, the incorporation of crops and native species, as well as processes for the remediation of former contaminated lands. Measured blocks of multi-story housing, like 'Stadtvilla,' define a discontinuous, vibrant, and porous front to the new central open space.

THE STREET

Aware of the environment in which we work, we propose a suburban street, defined by hedgerow fronts, gardens, and open-block buildings, row houses, semi-detached, and single-family homes towards the forest, which extends along North-South green axes and combines with the diversity of types in a mixed fabric that maintains the human scale, natural character, and ecological essence.