3rd Prize in the Competition for the Redesign of Barbarossaplatz, Berlin December 2024
The aim of the competition is the sustainable redesign of Barbarossaplatz as a vibrant and attractive urban square. The focus is on creating a multifunctional public space with a high quality of stay, meeting the diverse needs of residents, pedestrians, and local businesses. Taking into account aspects such as climate adaptation, accessibility, and urban greenery, the goal is to develop a forward-looking design concept that fulfills both the social and ecological requirements of modern urban planning.
2nd Prize in the Open Space Design Competition "Stahlwerkspark" Oberhausen December 2024
The open space design competition for the "Stahlwerkspark" in Oberhausen, in which 15 landscape architecture firms participated, marks an important step in the transformation of the former steelworks site. The goal is to develop a forward-thinking park that combines industrial history, ecological sustainability, and urban quality of life. The focus is on innovative design concepts that preserve the site's identity while creating space for recreation, culture, and community. The competition offers the opportunity to create a unique place that harmoniously connects the past and the future.
Award in the Procurement Procedure - Johanneum zu Lübeck December 2024
The Hanseatic City of Lübeck is planning a comprehensive renovation and modernization of the school buildings at the Johanneum grammar school campus in Lübeck. As part of this initiative, the outdoor facilities of the school grounds are to be redesigned or fundamentally renewed following the necessary structural interventions. The objective is to create a sustainable, attractive, and suitable environment for breaks and recreational activities for the approximately 800 students and their teachers.
The project aims to preserve the historically developed structures while establishing a modern, ecologically and economically sustainable school campus that complies with heritage protection requirements. The Johanneum building ensemble and individual structures are listed monuments and form part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Lübeck’s Old Town.
Circular Changemaker December 2024
As a partner of Madaster Germany, we are honored to receive the “Circular Changemaker” award. This recognition underscores our commitment to sustainable and resource-efficient construction, as well as our role as a key partner within the exclusive circle of the Madaster network. Through our dedication, we set standards and play a significant role in shaping a sustainable construction industry. This acknowledgment motivates us to continue driving innovative and forward-thinking solutions.
Competition 1st prize - Campus Verden - Open space concept school and campus park November 2024
We are delighted to have been awarded 1st prize for our competition design developed in collaboration with wulf architekten from Stuttgart for the project “Campus Verden - reorganisation, extension and open space concept”.
The school campus in the town of Verden (Aller) in Lower Saxony is located south-east of the town centre in a residential area and borders directly on an attractive urban park landscape. The new pedagogical concept is expressed in the open space concept - learning landscapes replace traditional classrooms and thus promote a flexible, collaborative learning environment. The open space concept integrates the park as an essential part of the overall urban structure and creates a smooth transition between education and nature.
The overall space unfolds as a natural, poetic park with a peaceful atmosphere. Areas of use such as the “amphitheatre” with a view of the city, the romantic lake, outdoor day-care centre area, animal park as well as play, health and sports areas are integrated with restraint.
The area is characterised by a green environment with a good stock of trees, which is extended from the residential areas into the park. This creates flowing transitions and the park becomes part of the overall urban structure. The Verden campus fits naturally into the south of the neighbourhood park, with clearly assigned school areas and logically delimited open space.
The new, inviting entrance to the school from the south creates an open atmosphere with a shallow water basin, seating edge and solitary tree. A spacious square with long benches leads from the Trift directly to the main entrance.
The southern entrance square with its high amenity value connects the building seamlessly with the northern terrace and the park-like school grounds. The school garden, kitchen garden and recreational areas create a variety of communication and activity zones.
First Prize “Diekmoor” October 2024
On Wednesday, 9 October 2024, District Office Director Michael Werner-Boelz, Head of Building Hans-Peter Boltres, Chief Building Director Franz-Josef Höing and Head of the Hamburg-Nord District Office Cordula Ernsing opened the exhibition for the “Diekmoor” urban and open space planning competition. Together with Winking Froh Architekten, we are delighted to have won 1st prize in this competition.
700 flats are to be built in the Diekmoor area. The aim is to develop a neighbourhood that is exemplary in terms of urban development, landscape planning and architecture and that meets current and future requirements for climate protection, climate adaptation and sustainability.
The design for the housing development on Diekmoor is based on the motif of rural courtyards. Several buildings form courtyards with internal access and clear contours to the surrounding landscape. The urban structure is divided into ‘residential islands in the green’, which are interspersed with neighbouring green spaces.
Despite the building density, the high-quality green structure of the Diekmoor will be preserved. The neighbouring nature reserve with its wet meadows and allotments creates habitats for bird and small animal species. By extending the blue and green structure, nature is brought right up to the residential development in order to minimise ecological interventions and create animal corridors. This promotes a healthy microclimate and increases the quality of life.
Public and private spaces merge into a green whole that supports biodiversity and promotes recreation. Playgrounds, communal gardens and recreational areas provide space for people to meet and relax in the midst of nature.
Federal Urban Green Award - Recognition for the “Flensburg Landscape Gardens” September 2024
Together with Hans-Hermann Krafft and the City of Flensburg, we are delighted that our “Flensburg Landscape Gardens” project has been recognised at the Federal Urban Green Award. The award was presented at the 17th Federal Congress on National Urban Development Policy in Heidelberg!
The Federal Urban Green Award is an award from the German government that recognises innovative and sustainable projects for the design of urban green spaces. The aim is to raise awareness of the importance of green spaces in cities, improve the quality of life and promote ecological and social aspects of urban development. The prize is awarded to projects that offer exemplary solutions for the creation, maintenance and utilisation of urban green spaces.
The project was formulated as a key measure in the ISEK in 2018 and comprises the city centre area with three sub-areas. The “Christiansenpark” is the most important civic garden monument in Schleswig-Holstein from around 1800 and part of the former Christiansen Gardens. The aim was to bring these historical elements back to life as a unique ensemble together with the Old Cemetery and the Museumsberg.
After intensive planning and participation processes, the park was redeveloped and restored. Local residents and families are now making more use of the park, especially the exercise-promoting elements and the water feature on the Museumsberg. The barrier-free linking of the areas promotes use by all population groups.
Redesign Middle Pader Springs Area, Paderborn August 2024
In its current issue, the magazine Garten + Landschaft presents 54 special projects
on the subject of “Urban Oases” from 46 offices in 35 cities and 5 countries.
We are very pleased that our project “Redesign Middle Pader Springs Area, Paderborn”
is part of this extensive publication.
Awards:
German Urban Design Award 2023 - special prize “Designing Climate Adaptation”
1st prize Bundespreis Sadtgrün 2020, category “Built”
1st prize polis Award 2020, category “Reactive Centres”
Award “Exemplary Buildings NRW 2020”
Foundation stone laid for Käthe Kollwitz School in Bützow July 2024
The open space tells the story of Bützow as part of the Warnow Valley with its floodplain landscapes, meandering rivers, gravel deposits and dead-ice lakes.
On 25 July 2024, we celebrated the laying of the foundation stone for the climate-adapted neighbourhood park and the schoolyard around the new regional school ‘Bützow Käthe Kollwitz’. In doing so, we are creating a public green space that will be much more than just a place for breaks and exploration and will invite the neighbourhood as well as the pupils. - Funded by the federal programme ‘Adaptation of urban spaces to climate change’.
Framework plan for Science City Hamburg Bahrenfeld, Campus West June 2024
Science City Hamburg Bahrenfeld with Campus West is regarded as the flagship of Hamburg's innovation landscape. The framework plan drawn up for the development of the research campus is now available and can be accessed by the public. On behalf of Science City Hamburg Bahrenfeld GmbH, WES LandschaftsArchitektur, ASTOC ARCHITECTS AND PLANNERS and Buro Happold developed a comprehensive catalogue of design and rules for the opening, expansion and redensification of the 50-hectare site with around 170,000 m² of gross floor area of new construction potential.
The vision for the future of Science City Hamburg Bahrenfeld published in 2019 laid the foundation for Hamburg's development as a centre for science and is a key component of Hamburg's innovation strategy. Campus West, the core of Science City, is a centre for basic research and applied sciences with facilities such as the university, DESY and the Max Planck Institute.
The framework plan creates a positive future perspective for opening up the site and developing a recognisable campus. Efficient land utilisation, clear potential areas for research buildings and a coordinated basis between stakeholders enable quick decisions to be made on suitable locations. Flexibly designed structures respond to framework conditions, seamlessly integrate short-term projects and strengthen the excellence of Science City.
The Science City concept emphasises the networking of science and the city through usable, connected open spaces. The aim is consistent, sustainable and climate-friendly development to meet the requirements of a dynamic research and science city.
The framework plan is available at
www.sciencecity.hamburg/rahmenplan-campus-west/
1st Prize in the "Verden Campus" competition May 2024
Together with our partner office Wulf Architects from Stuttgart, we are delighted to have won the 1st prize in the competition “Reorganisation and extension of the Verden campus - school grounds and campus park”.
The realisation of a new pedagogical spatial concept for the school offers the opportunity to make the Verden campus fit for the future through structural additions.
The open space concept for the school area and the newly created public campus park offers pupils and local residents a high quality of stay and a wide range of uses, including opportunities to move, play and linger, and fulfils the high ecological requirements of the time.
Unfortunately, we have to refrain from publishing our design concept until the end of the embargo period.
Heinze Podcast #147 - “Centre wild, edge controlled - when people feel comfortable with nature (and when not)” May 2024
Heinze Podcast #147 - WES Managing Shareholder Henrike Wehberg-Krafft, Stefan S. Weber, Head of Circularity at WES, in conversation with architecture journalist Kerstin Kuhnekath on the topic of “Centre wild, edge controlled - when people feel comfortable with nature (and when not)”.
Landscape architecture harbours the danger of greenwashing, because we cannot use it to compensate for what happens in building construction. We are responsible for building and have to question construction methods - an immense challenge. Constant questioning is exhausting and challenges our thinking.
But we have strong arguments on our side: cooling urban spaces, biodiversity and reusing existing buildings. Instead of using terms such as CO2 and climate crisis, which create negative images, we should create more positive ones. Together, we can make our cities sustainable and liveable.
You can listen to the 40-minute podcast at:
https://heinze.podigee.io/158-neue-episode
BROWNFIELD AWARD - 2nd prize in the "Particularly Sustainable" category May 2024
We are delighted that our "Ecological Revitalisation Westerwaldstrasse, Cologne" project has won 2nd prize in the prestigious Brownfield Award in the "Particularly Sustainable" category.
The award reinforces our commitment to innovative approaches, sustainable development and the successful conversion of brownfield sites and is an incentive to continue setting standards.
Westerwaldstrasse in Cologne is characterised by a green quality of life, user-friendly recreational and exercise opportunities and an improved green network with a connection to the outer green belt. The project area stretches over 3 kilometres and offers attractive play, sports and recreational facilities, including a versatile bike trail, a Finn track and running paths. With over 200 newly planted trees, upgraded ruderal areas and typical orchards, biodiversity is promoted and the microclimate improved. Barrier-free areas invite you to linger.
1st prize in the Europe-wide landscape planning realisation competition April 2024
Together with Hans-Hermann Krafft, we are delighted to have won first prize in the Europe-Wide Landscape Planning Realisation Competition "Lausitzer Platz in Berlin Kreuzberg-Friedrichshain".
We are creating a green meeting place under the light canopy of existing trees. By largely reusing existing materials and aiming for 100% rainwater infiltration, we are creating a green and refreshing oasis in Kreuzberg. A temporary water area to the south of Emmaus Church can be used as a dance stage for events or as a play area. An urban space will be created at the transition to Skalitzer Strasse and Görlitzer Park.
German Natural Stone Award 2024 March 2024
We are delighted to have been nominated for the "German Natural Stone Award 2024" for our "Flensburg Landscape Gardens" project.
The jury made its selection at the jury meeting held in March, at which 18 outstanding natural stone projects were chosen from a total of 69 submissions. These projects cover the categories "Facades with ventilated exterior wall cladding made of natural stone", "Facades and buildings with solid natural stone", "Interiors made of natural stone" and "Landscape architecture and open space design".
On 19 June 2024, the four category winners will be chosen at the Stone+tec trade fair in Nuremberg as part of the Natural Stone Congress.
URBAN GREEN CHARTA - Economic, Social and Ecological Sustainability February 2024
Since 1969, our work has been characterised by a clear principle: A commitment to the best solution. In our opinion, you can't just do "landscape architecture", as there are many other challenges in and around it that require comprehensive solutions.
With the URBAN GREEN CHARTA, sustainable planning becomes an integral pillar of the projects and work of WES. The three dimensions of sustainability - economic, social and ecological - are intertwined and complement the standards of design and construction quality that have characterised WES LandscapeArchitecture for over 50 years.
The economic viability of projects is becoming ever more closely linked to sustainability criteria. Our URBAN GREEN CHARTA introduces contact persons for the five fields of action of sustainable construction, design, methodology, materials, biodiversity and water, who specifically strengthen our project teams and are available to you as consultants.
The contents of the URBAN GREEN CHARTA were discussed at length, intensively and across all hierarchical levels of the office. Dialogue remains an essential element of the charter, with the aim of developing it further and making our environment more resilient together. We invite you to take part in this discussion and join us in the search for alternative building materials and construction methods.
Link: URBAN GREEN CHARTA
WES at the Lenné Symposium 2024 in Berlin January 2024
WES Managing Shareholder Henrike Wehberg-Krafft, Stefan S. Weber, Head of Circularity at WES, and project manager Christina von Reth from the Berlin office took part in this year's Lenné Symposium, hosted by the Berlin Senate Department for Mobility, Transport, Climate Protection and the Environment (SenMVKU). The symposium took place at the betterplace Umspannwerk in Kreuzberg and was dedicated to the highly topical subject of "Green-blue infrastructure: Berlin on the way to becoming a water-sensitive city".
In view of the global challenges of climate change with tangible effects on Berlin, particularly in the form of extreme weather events, the event focused on water-sensitive urban planning. This approach, also known as the "sponge city principle", is considered groundbreaking for the climate resilience and adaptation of our cities. The symposium focused on Berlin's current status with regard to the implementation of this water-sensitive planning and the necessary prerequisites for successful progress.
The opening by Britta Behrendt, State Secretary for Climate Protection and the Environment, and a keynote speech on the National Water Strategy by Manja Schreiner, Senator from the SenMVKU, provided the framework for further discussions. Positions from the profession, teaching and the next generation complemented the dialog. In various work and thinking spaces, the aforementioned questions were explored in greater depth by speakers from research and administration.
Further Information:
www.lenne-veranstaltungen.de
WES construction manager Florian Kreß appointed specialist spokesman for the “Construction Technology and Standards” working group December 2023
We are very pleased that WES construction manager Florian Kress has been appointed specialist spokesman for the bdla Hamburg for the “Construction Technology and Standards” working group. As construction manager, Florian is responsible, among other things, for the extremely successful WES projects "Urbaner Platz - Zentrum Mümmelmannsberg, Hamburg", "New building of enercity headquarters, Hanover" and "Central shopping area/Grubenstrasse, Mölln".
The work in the construction technology and standards working group includes participation, commenting and assisting with draft standards, FLL guidelines, worksheets, ZTV-en, DIN standards and interface definitions. There are regular appointments for coordination and professional exchange. There is also an exchange on current, existing case law and judgments.
We wish Florian all the best and much success in his new area of responsibility!
Further information:
www.bdla.de
Madaster network event in Heidelberg November 2023
Stefan S. Weber, Head of Circularity at WES, took part in the Madaster network meeting on November 30th, to which Heidelberg Materials had invited. As the first open space planning office in Germany, WES LandschaftsArchitektur has been part of the Madaster Germany network as an innovation partner for a year. The aim of the partnership is to establish resource-saving construction as an industry standard and to expand the added value for clients, users and the environment. As part of the event, Madaster reported on the current status of the network, which now includes over 140 partners from all sectors of the construction, planning and real estate industry, and gave an outlook on the planned developments in 2024. We are very pleased that the inputs to be implemented by WES to expand the functions for open spaces in the online building material cadastre.
Further information:
www.madaster.de
"Movement for ALL" | ParkSport Lurup, Hamburg | Participation - planning and design - realisation November 2023 November 2023
As part of the IAKS outdoor specialist seminar in the Haus des Sports in Hamburg, WES shareholders Wolfgang Betz and Henrik Sander from orange edge - Integrated Urban & Traffic Planning presented the joint project "ParkSport Lurup, Hamburg".
The lecture in front of around 70 specialist audience participants covered the topics of participation, planning and design, in particular the content-related, health-promoting solution taking into account the aesthetic development and social components as well as the realization of the project. The process through to completion was illustrated using sketches, plans and photographs from the construction phase. This was followed by a tour of ParkSport Lurup, which met with great interest despite the storm and rain.
ParkSport Lurup is one of three sub-projects of the “Lurup district campus”, which was planned together with the expansion of the Lurup district school. The innovative concept of the district campus based on a master's study by WES LandscapeArchitecuture integrates the community school and creates a place of inclusion that opens up to the district, sees the school as a learning and living space and is characterized by high quality of stay and use. The ParkSport area as an open, cross-generational exercise and meeting space was developed with the participation of the population and local actors and with the sports scientific support of Dr. Julia Thurn from the Institute for Cooperative Planning and Sports Development, Stuttgart (IKPS). Physical activity has a positive effect on social, cognitive and emotional development. This is shown by current scientific findings.
Stefan Weber, Head of Circularity at WES LandscapeArchitecuture, supplemented the lecture with the topic of "New, Circular Building" and highlighted aspects of sustainability in the design process and possibilities for establishing a circular economy in the construction sector.
Further information:
www.deutschland.iaks.sport
Contract for new building Asklepios Klinik Altona, Hamburg October 2023
In collaboration with Telluride Architecture | a|sh sander.hofrichter architekten as a consortium, WES LandscapeArchitecture was awarded the contract for the new building of the Asklepios Klinik Altona. The new hospital is to be built in the immediate vicinity of the aging, striking high-rise building and will ensure long-term health care. The design from 2019 reflects the typical, local identity of the Altona district and does justice to the specifications of the property. The building ensemble fits harmoniously into the neighborhood and is designed to ensure high-quality patient care. He follows the philosophy that the spatial environment can have a positive effect on the regeneration of patients and attractive jobs are created for clinical staff. The goal of those involved in the project is to realize the project in close partnership with Asklepios. The future users, including doctors and nursing staff, are significantly integrated into the implementation process.
Further information:
www.asklepios.com
Opening of Flensburg landscape gardens September 2023
With the ceremonial opening of the Flensburg Landscape Gardens on the nationwide Open Monument Day, the monumental redesign of the park and cemetery ensemble Flensburg Landscape Gardens, one of the most important, historic green spaces in Schleswig-Holstein, comes to its crowning conclusion. The official welcome was given by Dr. Robert Habeck, Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection, Pelle Hansen, Deputy Mayor of Flensburg and Mayor Dr. Fabian Geyer. Students from neighboring schools and the ensemble of the Schleswig-Holstein Symphony Orchestra provided the musical accompaniment. As part of a walk through the landscape gardens, WES partner Claus Rödding explained the measures implemented to the minister and representatives from Flensburg's top administration. In addition to other public tours, there was also a colorful children's program and a picnic, to which WES invited all project participants and visitors on its own blanket and which was very well received.
Further information:
www.flensburg.de
Reopening Geropark, Mönchengladbach September 2023
Mayor Felix Heinrichs and Dr. Gregor Bonin, city director and technical representative, officially opened the redesigned and enlarged Geropark on the lake stage. The varied supporting program included, among other things, themed tours through the park, several music concerts, various games and a mobile theater. As an inner-city green space, the central Geropark forms urban relationships with the nearby Sonnenberg, the Abteiggarten and the Hans-Jonas-Park. The redesign measures included the development of the park around the central area of the enlarged Geroweiher as well as the accentuation of important areas such as Geroplatz or the historic city wall. Versatile bank areas, water fountains as well as seating and walking steps on the water area, which has been expanded by 43 percent, now offer special living qualities in direct proximity to the water. As a square-like entrance corresponding to the location, Geroplatz is integrated into the holistic park landscape. Long, illuminated seating elements and perennial planting behind them emphasize the historical course of the old city wall. A variety of games and sports offerings for young and old complement the usage offerings in the northwestern area. New, existing-oriented routes connect higher-level green and traffic structures.
Inauguration ceremony enercity, Hanover September 2023
The new headquarters of enercity, one of the most innovative companies in the energy industry, was opened with a ceremony with over 500 invited guests from politics, business and society. The state capital's lighthouse project is a pioneering building that offers optimal working conditions and an inspiring environment and is currently the largest passive house in Northern Germany. Among the guests were Lower Saxony's Economics Minister Olaf Lies, State Environment Minister Christian Meyer and Hanover's Mayor Belit Onay. Lower Saxony's Prime Minister Stephan Weil also sent congratulations. The new building stands on a spacious plaza that surrounds the entire building like a carpet. A representative water basin as a sky mirror and seating made from polished natural stone cushions form an inviting entrance. A grove of picturesquely growing, tall crowns provides shade and complements the composition. The project leads to a complete upgrade of the city framework. Haas Cook Zemmrich STUDIO 2050 won the competition together with WES LandscapeArchitecture. WES managing shareholder Wolfgang Betz was among the guests.
1st prize international competition "Nanjing Energy Valley Central Business District" August 2023
In collaboration with gmp Architects and Arup, a modern technology campus is being built in Nanjing, southeast of the City Center, based on the principle of the sponge city, with numerous apartments and commercial retail for a lively new urban district. Two landmark towers are oriented axially along a main road that stretches across the campus in a south-easterly direction. Between the two plots there is a communal plaza, the center of which is defined by a large water basin with fountains. Organically designed, ground-level green spaces reflect the surrounding, natural water and landscape parks and form a deliberate contrast to the linear hedge and covering design, which is based on the structure of the buildings. Laid out across the entire district, they offer attractive opportunities to linger and invite you to activities in the surrounding nature.
Construction site visit of the WES project "Am Strandkai" in Hamburg July 2023
20 professional colleagues took part in the first site visit 2023 of the bdla regional association Hamburg. In Hanseatic sloping weather, the project manager of HafenCity Hamburg GmbH, Barbara Schwöppe, and our project manager, Frank Fischer, explained the more than 10-year development process for more than two hours. Many ideas, some of them spectacular, were developed for the Strandhöft quayside tip, with the aim of creating a public, multifunctional place to stay and look out. In the end, a rich In offer was realized in the form of a small park, a stage as well as seating for 60 people to linger at this place in the future. In detail, there was a lot of technical stuff to see during the guided tour, which caused astonishment among both the young and the experienced. The complexity and the interlocking of the many specialist disciplines could be "felt" by everyone. The construction project is scheduled for completion in early 2024.
Opening of the exhibition "The Entire City. Hamburg competitions 2017-2023" June 2023
As part of the Hamburg Architecture Summer 2023, the exhibition "The Whole City. Hamburg Competitions and Procedures 2017-2023" will take place from June 23 to July 14, 2023 at the Baakenhöft in HafenCity. In the exhibition, conceived by the curatorial team of Kawahara Krause Architects (Hamburg) and the architecture critic Kaye Geipel (Berlin), more than 1,400 designs from over 170 competitions in Hamburg in recent years can be seen in the form of a floating archive made up of around 1,100 flags Show the range and creative abundance of planning ideas for Hamburg's future. Karen Pein, Senator for Urban Development and Housing, and Senior Building Director Franz-Josef Höing spoke at the opening ceremony. WES LandscapeArchitecture is represented in the exhibition with a total of 12 competition entries. The exhibition is accompanied by an extensive program of events that invites you to discuss building culture and urban design.
Further information:
www.dieganzestadt.de
Middle Pader Springs Area, Paderborn May 2023
The WES project "Redesign Middle Paderquellgebiet, Paderborn" won the special prize at the German Urban Development Prize 2023 with the topic "Climate Adaptation Design". This year, the special prize is awarded to urban development projects that make a particularly exemplary, forward-looking or experimental contribution to the adaptation of municipalities, their districts and neighborhoods to climate change. The redesign of the open spaces in the central Pader source area included the renaturation of the unique inner-city springs and rivers. The opening up of the green areas and an improved routing promote the perceptibility of the river landscape. At the same time, a natural design and ecological continuity ensure the urban climate and biodiversity on site. The area of the former Haxthausenhof was developed into an urban garden. Lawn models indicate the historical location of the Villa Haxthausen and, together with the historical garden wall, refer to the historical background of the city. "The project shows how, with relatively small interventions in an area of 17,000 m², you can not only achieve a forward-looking urban climate value, but also how indispensable added value can be created for the population in public space," according to the jury's verdict. The jury appraised and evaluated a total of 80 projects, 30 of which received a special award.
1st Prize International Competition April 2023
On the 56-hectare site next to an ecological wetland on the shore of Lake Taihu, several stadiums raised like platforms and various sports facilities are being built in cooperation with gmp architects von Gerkan, Marg and Partners, which are embedded in an organically shaped landscape park. In the center of the sports facilities and between the facilities, large, publicly accessible outdoor facilities are planned, which take up and further develop the theme of the floodplain park. Natural watercourses from the adjacent wetlands are continued and integrated into the landscaping. In conjunction with retention basins and natural sinks in the green areas, they contribute to flood protection and improve the microclimate. The Olympic Sports Center is one of several pilot projects by the city of Wuxi that aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase climate resilience in the region. In order to meet the requirements of a CO²-reduced urban development, a holistic sustainability concept was developed with the engineering office Arup and the principle of the sponge city was applied.
1st WES Staff Meeting 2023 March 2023
This year, the first staff meeting took place again in the Q21 inn in Hamburg-Barmbek. In addition to a review of business development in 2022 and an outlook for 2023, there was also an exchange of experiences on the current team building process. In addition, WES project manager Stefan S. Weber spoke about the need for sustainable planning methods in the construction industry and, in this context, presented environmental product declarations as the basis for the sustainability assessment of buildings. Afterwards Dipl.-Ing. Ulrich Welter from ingside - insider advice for engineers and associations - gave an exciting presentation on the topic "The HOAI 2021 and the engineer contract - supplement management and new BGB".
Building culture workshop "Hydraulic Engineering" of the Federal Foundation of Building Culture February 2023
On the workshop day of the Baukultur workshop "Hydraulic Engineering" in the Kesselhaus in HafenCity, WES shareholder Henrike Wehberg-Krafft presented the WES project "Industrial Memorial Kaltehofe Waterworks, Hamburg" on the topic "Cities - climate-friendly and beautiful". She drew attention to the fact that today, in the course of the energy transition and measures to combat climate change, we need to develop a new self-confidence in order to also develop qualities for areas on the fringes of building culture, such as technical infrastructure and industry. The challenges of climate change like heavy rain events or dry periods require a new way of dealing with water in cities and rural areas. With many interesting participants, exciting contributions and lively discussions, the building culture workshop "Hydraulic Engineering" was dedicated to the creative opportunities that lie in these largely infrastructural tasks. The results are, among other things, the basis for the upcoming Baukultur Report 2024/25 of the Federal Foundation of Baukultur with a focus on infrastructure and its design.
bdla site manager talks 2023 January 2023
The 25th bdla site manager talks, for which landscape architects from all over Germany meet every year, took place again this time in Bochum. The agenda included exciting presentations by experts on new methods of roof greening, drainage-capable pavement constructions and base layers, durable wooden structures and how to deal with heavy rain events. The program was supplemented by panel discussions on the topics of sustainability, intrinsic value and resource conservation. There was also the opportunity to take part in one of three excursions on a landscape architecture theme. From the WES team, site manager Florian Kress, site manager Adrian Lichnowski, project manager Katharina Schröder and partner Claus Rödding were present.