Plinganserstrasse

Residential buildings, office and retail areas as well as a daycare facility for children are to be built on a developed plot "Am Harras" with existing buildings from the 1960s and 1970s.

The design intends a concise urban building structure along the busy Plinganserstrasse that forms a clear border to traffic noise. On the side facing away from the street, the new buildings together with the existing block form a comb structure with protected inner courtyards. This creates peaceful and defined recreational spaces for the residents in green areas with a high quality of living and a clear sealing off from the traffic noise. 

With low-key materials and a pleasant rhythm, the design forms a clearly defined urban edge to the street and the green sports park in the east. In line with the architecture of existing listed buildings that characterise the city in the north, that constitutes the starting point of the quarter "Am Harras“, the punctuated facade is kept low-key and with the height of the attic refers to the important urban roof edge of the residential buildings from the 1920s. Passages on the ground floor and the tapered back fifth upper floor structure the around 170m long facade and emphasise the building and quarter accesses. A clear prestige value is created.    

In the apartments along Plinganserstraße the residential and recreational areas are exclusively orientated towards private courtyards on the peaceful south west side, whilst the bedrooms face the street. Correspondingly the facade facing the street has a more closed character. Folding shutters in front of the windows emphasise this gesture and help to reduce the incoming noise. The facade facing the courtyard in contrast is spaciously glazed and has continuous balcony zones. The folding shutters here serve as sun protection. 

The existing residential block in the inside of the area will be raised to incorporate high-quality apartments and spacious roof terraces.

The daycare facility for children is located in the northern part of the plot, is easily accessible and has its own protected outdoor spaces. The office and shop areas are located in the direct vicinity of the newly built neighbourhood square. 

In this way the new buildings and existing buildings together form a new, urban quarter with its own character.