Students on the "Integral Building" Master's degree course at Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences are designing an inclusive neighborhood at Wittekindshof in Bad Oeynhausen-Volmerdingsen. The neighborhood is intended to promote the coexistence of people with and without disabilities. The transformation of the site reflects the change in social work, with people with disabilities increasingly living and being supported in their own homes rather than in large institutions.
Under the direction of Prof. Dr. Matthias Kathmann, the students were asked to develop innovative concepts for the five-hectare site. The practical exercise aims to practice complex planning processes and promote interdisciplinary teamwork. The students worked in teams to design different forms of housing and a community center. They received feedback from both the project manager of the Diakonische Stiftung Jörg Henke and experts from the construction industry.
The result was creative solutions. They ranged from the conversion of the former kitchen building into a community center to the integration of green terraces on the roofs of apartment buildings built into the slope. The Diakonische Stiftung wants to take another look at all the work and then compare it with its own urban planning design.
Sources and further information: idw-online.de/hsbi.de
© Fotolia
