The teaching and research project “Micro-Cooperatives & Triple Internal Development” was awarded a prize of 20,000 euros by the State of Hesse as part of the most recent GFB Future Prize. Researchers and students at Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences (Frankfurt UAS) aim to discuss a model for small-scale, smart infill development as part of a collaborative project with universities in Mainz and Darmstadt, as well as with local partners in Erzhausen.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Lamia Messari-Becker, State Secretary at the Hessian Ministry of Economics, Energy, Transportation, Housing, and Rural Affairs, emphasized during the presentation of the award certificate on April 12, 2024, in Erzhausen: “The interdisciplinary approach of the three universities, combined with active citizen participation and dialogue with the local administration, serves as a model for others to follow. The life-cycle-oriented approach to land use and existing buildings can be considered forward-looking for the entire region. The key point here is that Erzhausen serves as a model for demonstrating new approaches and possibilities for land use. We therefore consider it important that this project be documented in order to provide other municipalities with inspiration, including concrete proposals for action.”
The three universities—Mainz, Darmstadt, and Frankfurt—are collaborating on this teaching and research project. This year, the project is being coordinated by Dr.-Ing. Jan Dieterle, Professor of Sustainable Open Space and Urban Design (Department of Architecture, Civil Engineering, and Geomatics at Frankfurt UAS), who is carrying out the project in collaboration with architect Prof. Astrid Schmeing (Department of Architecture at Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences) and acting professor Felix Nowak (Department of Architecture in the Faculty of Engineering at Mainz University of Applied Sciences). In the planned teaching and research project, the partner municipality of Erzhausen serves as a representative example of many municipalities in the Rhine-Main region with large areas of single- and two-family homes. An earlier collaborative project involving the three universities in Frankfurt, Darmstadt, and Mainz, as well as the municipality of Erzhausen, has already demonstrated that there is significant potential for infill development in this area.
Mainz University of Applied Sciences Awarded the GFB Future Prize in 2023 for the “RheinMainDensity: New Paths for Vibrant Neighborhoods” Project by the Department of Architecture
As early as the end of 2023, the GFB Future Prize was awarded to the three universities under the leadership of Mainz University of Applied Sciences. The project “RheinMainDensity: New Approaches for Vibrant Neighborhoods” received prize money of 10,000 euros. In this collaborative project, students from the universities of Mainz, Darmstadt, and Frankfurt worked together to develop a variety of perspectives on how neighborhoods can become more vibrant and sustainable through creative solutions and participatory design.
As part of the project, students were invited to collaborate with the municipality of Erzhausen, experts, and local stakeholders to develop innovative concepts for high-density settlement forms in the Rhine-Main region. The goal was to improve the spatial and social quality of neighborhoods through creative thinking and participatory design and to make a valuable contribution to the discussion on quality and density in the Rhine-Main region. This approach impressed the GFB Future Prize jury during the October 2023 competition round.
At the end of January, students from the universities of Darmstadt, Frankfurt, and Mainz spent four days on site and, accompanied by the municipality of Erzhausen, explored the possibilities and potential of infill development in the inner city. The students’ diverse ideas and approaches were discussed in a closing forum with the municipality, local stakeholders, experts from the region, and residents, and received positive feedback. Various ideas are now set to be implemented in Erzhausen.
The upcoming publication “RheinMainDensity: New Paths for Vibrant Neighborhoods” provides insights into the creative exchange that took place during the interdisciplinary workshop and presents the developed designs for neighborhood planning that emphasize ecological and social sustainability.
Kickoff Workshop in July 2024
As part of the current collaborative project “Micro-Cooperatives & Triple-Bottom-Line Inner-City Development,” researchers and students from the participating universities will join local policymakers and residents in a one-day transdisciplinary workshop in early July 2024 to discuss the practical feasibility of this model. In addition to representatives from architecture and urban planning, experts from the fields of real estate and climate change adaptation, among others, will be involved. Using a specific building as a case study, different forms of housing will be planned and discussed in the spirit of the micro-cooperative. Ideally, these will better meet the needs of people in different life stages than many existing homes.
The jury for the GFB Future Prize was impressed by the project, in part because it addresses the management of aging single- and two-family home neighborhoods in small and medium-sized communities, as well as the design of housing for an aging population. The planned workshop could provide insights into how the transformation of the region’s existing building stock can succeed in the context of social biographies.
Three times a year, creative and inspiring projects are honored with the GFB Future Prize by the Hessian state initiative“Großer Frankfurter Bogen”(GFK). The award supports projects in or for partner municipalities that provide impetus for housing and urban development, promote community life, and benefit the general public.
Press release from Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences (April 15, 2023)
