Urban Development Eselsberg, Ulm
2018/2019

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Semester 4 & 5

Prof. Wolfgang Brune
Urban concept in cooperation with Jennifer Habnitt, Jessica Henkel, and Raphaela Schindler

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This project addresses a site in the district of Eselsberg in Ulm - an area nestled between the university and a residential area. In teamwork we developed an urban planning concept that acknowledges the ideas set forth in Kees Christiaanse’s master plan for the university city. Our concept strives to encircle three developed areas, on which various buildings are arranged, in public green spaces. All the structures have similar forms resulting from the oblique quartering of a rectangle. The houses are slightly staggered from one another, but it is still easy to navigate within the neigbourhood. The building height varies between two to four stories, which in combination with the topography results in different views of the city from each of the accessible roofs. The assembly of small buildings open up into the surrounding green spaces in which the landmarks of the planning, the skyscrapers, are located. The skyscrapers are visible from afar and act as local landmarks that attract residents from nearby residential areas and university students. In the second step of this project, everyone individually designed and produced construction drawings for the skyscrapers. The basic ideas including mixed use programming, form, and approximate building height should be retained by all group members.
The individual design explores a series of platforms supporting a free-formed object that allows for various uses. The development of a central circulation core allows the entirety of the building to be accessed by elevator. A second design decision impacts the exterior envelope. A secondary structure, partially encapsulated in the platforms, supports the cantilevered platforms. In the space between the core and the supporting structure, the facade protrudes and retracts creating different indoor and outdoor moments. The ground floor, and levels three and eight are double story spaces that are divided by a gallery. These have public/community uses. The remaining floors contain housing in a variety of configurations. Due to the large areas of exterior glazing, the residential rooms are well lit ensuring a high quality of living. All ancillary and utility rooms, which require little or no natural light, are arranged around the central core, so the building services can be easily installed on every floor. Due to the undulating platforms  and the offset facade, the rooms are shaded from the sun in the summer months to keep the living areas relatively cool. Exterior sunscreens offer another layer of protection.