Würselen "Mauerfeldchen"
In the project „Living with Children in Mauerfeldchen“, 26 residential units and a common room were planned jointly with the future residents and constructed by private investors. A main emphasis was placed on child-friendly ground plan design and special interests of the tenants.
This project has been put into the archive. The project details will not be updated anymore.
Context
Source: Arndt Sauerbrunn, Düsseldorf
An expert report on „Housing Supplies for Women in Need" commissioned by the equal opportunity commissioner in 1994 had established a dearth of large, affordable apartments for families and especially for single mothers in the Aachen municipal district. The concept for the construction in Mauerfeldchen was to address this issue. The site is located at the periphery of Würselen (pop. 36.500), a small town north of Aachen. The walking distance to the town centre is 10 minutes. There is a bus stop in the immediate vicinity for longer journeys.
Project description
Source: Robert Schmell, BBSR im BBR
26 housing units and one common room were constructed in three parallel buildings, each of them featuring three full floors and one graduated storey. The buildings are connected via open stairwells. The apartments come in various sizes and layouts ranging from one bedroom to five-room apartments. All the living rooms can also be used as individual rooms because each kitchen is assigned a common area which can replace the living room. Switchover rooms with own sanitary units allow for later subletting or the independent accommodation of adolescents.
Project chronology
Year | Event |
---|---|
1994 | Expert report on housing for women in need |
1995 | Project conception |
May 1995 | Information for investors with “investor competition” |
1997 | Information and extensive involvement of future tenants in the planning process |
1998 | Completion, residents move in |
Aims
Source: Robert Schmell, BBSR im BBR
- Consideration of special features required for "Living with Children"
- Mutual tenant support through community living
- Promotion of social control
- Generous ground plans, partly barrier-free
- Favourably priced construction methods
Measures
Source: Robert Schmell, BBSR im BBR
- Early involvement and codetermination of tenants in the planning and building stages
- Flexible apartment ground plans, switchover rooms
- Child-friendly house rules
- Tenant self-governance via “Tenant Statute” (tenant meetings, tenant representation, representation of individual interest groups)
- Common room / apartment
- Joint garden and courtyard design
- Low energy standard and rainwater utilization
Innovations
Source: Robert Schmell, BBSR im BBR
A distinguishing feature of the project is the fact that generous, flexible ground plans were created in compliance with the floor space limits applicable in subsidized housing. In addition to this, the apartments were created in a child-friendly environment and are available to (female) tenants who are experiencing a particular need for them. The extensive involvement and codetermination opportunities afforded the later tenants were essential project elements.
Sources
- Landesinstitut für Bauwesen des Landes NRW (Hg.), Neues Wohnen in NRW, Aachen, 1999, http://www.lb.nrw.de (Informationen zum Projekt, Lageplan und Fotos)
- Min. für Stadtentwicklung und Wohnen, Kultur und Sport NRW (Hg.), Bauen mit sozialem Verstand, Düsseldorf, 2001 (Fotos)
- Kreis Aachen, Gleichstellungsstelle (Hg.) Wohnen mit Kindern im Mauerfeldchen, Aachen, 1999
Secondary Information
The project site can be located at:
Post Code: 52146
Town/City: Würselen
Street: Mauerfeldchen
Last update: 14.09.2010