ARS16

Urban redensification is one of the key strategies for the future development of sustainable cities. Coinciding with the reduction of resources a high quality life-work-environment has to be provided in contrast to an urban sprawl pattern. This particularly co-occurs with reduced resources for mobility.

The summer academy a r s 16 b e r l i n investigated the potential of inner city infill sites. Considering the diversity of today’s society and demographic change the participants have been looking at approaches which will facilitate change as a parameter. This addresses the needs of different cultural backgrounds as well the impact of the rise of the global mean temperature.

Space for living and working which will cater to today’s need as well as the needs of future generations is at stake. Sustainable buildings will have to be able to embrace a change in program, still providing visual and thermal comfort while outdoor conditions will change due to climate change.

The summer academy a r s 16 b e r l i n, a 5-week long workshop organized by the Berliner Hochschule für Technik in partnership with Iowa State University (ISU), City College of New York (CCNY) and the German University of Technology GUtech, Muscat Oman addressed this need. 31 students from these
four universities developed proposals for future live work scenarios.

The students were mentored by Ulrike Passe, ISU, Ahu Aydogan Akseli, CCNY, Alexander Kader, GUtech sa well as Robert Demel and Mathias Essig, BHT Berlin. The Berlin housing association WBM Wohnungsbaugesellschaft Berlin-Mitte mbH (WBM) provided buildings from their estate for the site development and prize money for the best three projects. The exhibition will showcast the projects developed during this five-week workshop.