Category: Exploration

Friendly Weeds

Check it out our final presentation here!  

As a starting point for this project we asked ourselves: How to bring the wildlife back to the city?

In the initial part of the project we got especially inspired by café Botanico permacultural approach to urban farming. So, once we started to look through these glasses we were fascinated by the wildlife taking over the abandoned building and its surroundings. After collecting, identifying and researching the plants we started to map the wild edibles around HDS and its close neighborhood. The intriguing idea of public and free food was a carrier through this process. It was surprising that a lot of the wild vegetation that would usually be disregarded as undesirable weeds can actually be both healthy and useful! We agreed that information is the key to a better understanding of their value.

After the research phase we asked ourselves: How can we make those friendly weeds more appreciated around HDS?

Our idea is coexistence of nature/wildlife and the future inhabitants of HDS. We have thought about objects and actions which invites the wildlife to come and grow even more around HDS meanwhile provoking a transition in the perception of people. We want to create a value for the wildly growing plants instead of disgust or other associations people might usually have.

 

 

Presented here is a pillar that lifts up the plants from the ground and puts them into eld of vision for people passing by. Attached to the pillars are signs to provide information about the plants and their possible uses. The pillars rises awareness and changes the perception about these plants.

Along with the pillars we suggest perforated tiles, which fit into the raster of the standard ground tiles around HDS. The perforation enhance the possibilty for the wildlife to grow through in selected places.

 

 

 

We treat the wall in the inner yard in such a way that moss can grow up on it but in defined shapes. The green will replace the broken parts of the grout that fell down. This way wildlife and the building literally coexist.

As an overall strategy we thought of a color code to attract attention to the urban wildlife around HDS. Around the building we see a possibility for many small interventions that together will play a big role in enhancing the wildlife. The pink color is chosen contrast the green and to give a coherency to the di erent objects.

 

 

 

 

 

Domberger Brotwerk

 

At Domberger Brotwerk quality is the top priority. Since 2016 Florian Domberger and his crew have been fabricating real bread at the Essener Straße in Moabit. The dough preparation happens right in front of the costumers, so they can convince themselfs of the top quality and ask questions during the process. With their „Brotwüstenexpeditionsfahrzeug“ they drive around Berlin and bring handmade food to the (how they call it) „Bread-deserts“. The main ingredients for the spelt and rye bread can be counted on the fingers of one hand: flour, water, salt and patience so the bread can unfold its full flavour. What a lot of people don‘t know: rye bread shouldn‘t be eaten right after it came out of the oven. It develops it‘s full aroma within the next three days. And when properly stored it is eatable for whole two weeks. Wheat bread is consumable for a little over a week and even after that it can be toasted and is still delicious.

Die Gärtnerei

 

If you get out at Ubahn-station Leinestraße and walk towards Tempelhofer Feld, you discover the old stone house of „die Gärtnerei“. Artitst, architects and refugees moved in here two years ago and created a little gardenschool and a few workshop rooms. Part of the curricula are german lessons, training for vocational issues and landscape design. On the wasteland near the stone house arises the garden company which became a place of interest, creativity and social transformation for people of all cultures. Garden tools, flower bulbs and different seeds are part of the main equipment for the pupils and their teachers. Also the garden pupils regularly invite people of the neighbourhood for happenings like lectures and workshops.

Allmende Kontor

The community garden is located at the east side of the Tempelhofer Feld and was founded by the group of Allmende-Kontor in 2011. Shortly afterwards the first ten raised beds were build on the area of 5000 square meters. Ever since the garden grew and is today composed of 250 patches and with over 500 gardeners a self organised project. As common adress for urban gardening it might be the biggest raised bed project worldwide. All patches are allocated temporarily and should be used and carried ecological and resource-efficient. Besides the patches that are planted by single persons, the Allmende-Kontor contains common raised beds which are carried by the whole community.

Prachttomate

 

The „Prachttomate“ arised at 2011 out of a rubbish-strewn abandoned area at the Bornsdorfer Straße in Berlin. Today it‘s a meeting point for the neighbourhood with diverse cultures of vegetables, herbs, berries, flowers and of course tomatoes. At this place you can‘t find any customized patches. Everything is planed, cultivated and picked together with the community. People from any culture are welcome to visit the greenhouse, experiment with the fabrication of Bokashi-Terra Pretato, get in contact with strip cultivation or just to enjoy a drink at the bar. Besides smaller and bigger events with live music and bands, you can participant in one of the workshops or tours around the garden. In the summertime there are also happenings like outdoor movies and flea markets.

Café Botanico

 

The „Café Botanico“ is a cooperation between traditional italian food and modern concepts of urban gardening, permaculture and food sovereignty. On 1000 square meters Stefano, Martin and Massimo are planting old species of vegetables, fruits and wild plants following the concept of permaculture. The wildlife garden with over 200 eatable plants can be visited all-season. At the restaurant all plants are being washed and prepared for special meals like: Minestrone with corn from Umbria, Goulash with local bush meat and housemade cake with fruits from the garden. The etablishment is getting along without any subsidies, public funds or bank advance, but self-finances trough the catering trade and selling the agricultural products.

Prinzessinnengarten

 

The Prinzessinnengarten is located in Kreuzberg 36 at the Moritzplatz and has approximate size of a soccer field. It‘s an urban kitchen garden which is planted with different kinds of vegetables, fruit and herbs. Rent and other costs can be covered by the garden itself with earnings from the restaurant, selling of the crops and donations in form of sponsorships. Over the years, the place has become a vibrant meetingpoint for the neighborhood and beyond. Besides the garden work, many workshops and different culture events are offered here. At Prinzessinnengarten nobody owns their own patch, but everyone who wants becomes involved to make a place like this even possible.

Erikas Stadtbienen

 

Erika Mayr already peruses for 15 years with bees and since 2007 she maintains her own bee colonies. For her the bees are a symbol of freedom and very valuable for us all. There are seven different beekeepings around Berlin and Brandenburg. The one we visited is located in Kreuzberg at the Wrangelstraße since 2016 and contains 2 bee colonies. Dependig on the location and the weather ervery honey tastes individual, she told us. While the early summer honey has a lighter color and tastes very mild, the later honey is deep-yellow and has a stronger flavour. Altough not everyone has the same persuasion: Erikas bees are happy here in Kreuzberg. They are free to fly everywhere they want, without disturbing any neighbours or even being noticed. They live in their own little parallel universe. And while Erika works here, connects and pollinates her colonies she disappear in this universe as well.

cities potentials*vacant space*what does it take to make people participate in actions?*

 

Urban_Guardening_Präsentation

Resolution of first analyses: Yes, there is still plenty of room in the city where stuff could happen! A lot of so far sad looking, forgotten voids seem to wait for visionary actions and projects that bring them back to life and perception. A great possibility for communities to take over! But what does it take to turn people into participants, exchange anonymity for community?…

The keywords could be:

*Fun*Sharing*Getting-to-know-your-neighbours*Feeling part of something*

There are already successful examples for that…Let´s dream up some more!

 

 

with Isabella Asp Onsjö, Julian Preindl, Oz Birri and Yanik Wagner

 

ROOTS

Transformation of the ‘Haus der Statistik’ into a green vertical graveyard, a place to celebrate life.

 

The ‘House of Roots’ gives you a feeling of peace and freedom. It is a place to remember your beloved ones and to value the beauty of life. The connection to nature is regrowing and the human body is committed to the circle of life again.

 

The building is transformed in 3 steps:

 

  • Opening up the first floor, leaving only the structural columns to support the building; room for a green and vivid park is created.

 

  • Changing the inner part of the building into a form of an ‘Atrium’. Therefore, a second facade is built; it can be used in addition to the outer facade.

 

  • Using the existing ornamental elements on the outer facade, making small changes and multiply these elements for the entire inner and outer facades. These boxes are used for the ‘green graves’.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The new process of Cryomation turns the dead body into a granular mass of 20 kg of sterile soil. It builds a perfect nuritrition soil and is used as a fertilizer for the chosen plant that grows on the ‘green grave’.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are two kinds of plantations:

 

  • The ‘green grave’: plants which will grow inside the boxes. They represent the beloved person who has deceased. The type of plant is chosen by the deceased person’s family.

 

  • The ‘candle plant’: in front of the boxes inside the building, you can find a place to plant a seedling. The idea is based on the church’s spiritual significance of candles. The plants can be bought in a special part of the building.

 

 

 

 

 

The plant’s harvest is collected by the people who come to visit the ‘House of Roots’.

The system is built on trust.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Darja Studer, Anastasiia Baranova, Shir Loewenstein, Mario Wurm

Arche

What if …
… apocalypse?

End of the world. The „Haus der Statistik“ is the last remnant of land. The last opportunity to live. Transformed into a residential house, a machine, a complex for production, for surviving. The question about possibilities for every single person to prepare itself. What kind of resources has the Haus der Statistik to offer a self-sufficient way of life and in wich role are its inhabitants?

 

There is the situation of an apocalypse. A ficction. And a concept:

the „Haus der Statistik“ is an isolated island, surrounded by water. Using existing knowledge people are able to prepare themselves. Food and water is the most important part of surviving. To enable a varied production of different nourishments there is the need for space as well as the right knowledge of climate and air conditions. But it is not only food, but also social interaction, which is as important as sustenance. Living together in a limited space means that everyone has to know how to act in a collective.

To enable an essential food supply there is the need of high-tech equipments. Using the full depth of the building and to guarantee growth troughout the year there are special lights mounted to the ceiling. Special mirrors which are orientated in a specific order can help not to waste too much energy and to collect the light. As an example, the facade can be used to grow vine. To provide a wider range of supply the farm sector also offers space for livestock, like cows, pigs or chickens. Their excretion can be used as fertilizer for the plants.

Premise and base for the whole production is a large amount of energy, gained mainly by water, wind and sun. The interaction of windmills, solar panels and special indoor bikes provide electricity for the community. A large water pool on the rooftop collects all the rainwater. With a special filltration plant the water can be processed into drinking water and stored in large water tanks inside the building.

 

Sophia Branz / Julius Führer / Itirit Hatairatana / Patrick Hemmerden / Nina Vollbracht

WHAT IF

Felix Deiters, Jeanne Astrup-Chauvaux, Frederik Reich and Maja Avnat

Germany has been cut off fossil fuel imports for four years now. The shock changed everything.
We quickly had to adapt our every life to these new circumstances : the breakdown of our transportation system, and the collapse of our food production chain.

Some people decided to move to the countryside to produce and live off the available land.
Consequently the cities were left less densely populated, but in desperate need of food and productivity.

Read more