Combining theory and practice: During the two-day dry stone wall workshop in Tachenhausen, landscape architecture students first received an introduction to the structure, function, and ecological significance of vineyard dry stone walls. The workshop also covered topics such as construction guidelines, restoration, tendering, specifications, and basic cost estimation.

In the hands-on session that followed, the participants put what they had learned into practice: they worked on sandstone blocks, shaped them, and assembled them using traditional construction methods to build a sturdy dry stone wall.

In addition to the technical skills involved, the ecological significance of this work became particularly clear: dry stone walls provide valuable habitats for insects, reptiles, and plants, thereby making an important contribution to biodiversity.

Thanks to the perfect weather, the students were able to gain a deeper understanding of key concepts in sustainable landscape development through hands-on experience.

During the first semester, students create an elevation model based on a randomly assigned scale and elevation templates.

The elevation layer plan forms the basis for this and must be adapted and reworked to include elements such as buildings, terraces, and trees.

The materials can be chosen freely (cardboard, Bristol board, Kapa board, etc.), and the color scheme and design should be creative, but consistent and coherent.

At the end of the semester, the individual elevation models are then turned into a kind of puzzle. Students must find the “neighbors” adjacent to their elevation layers, which together form a picture. Here, the imprint of an elephant has been created.

Supervision:

Prof. Dr. Dirk Stendel

The interdisciplinary master’s project focused on an in-depth examination of Stuttgart’s City Hall Quarter. With its strategy for a livable city center, the city of Stuttgart aims to redesign the public space within the city ring to make it more attractive, improve pedestrian and bicycle traffic, and reduce car traffic. Building on this, the aim was to analyze problems at the local level for the area under consideration, develop new planning principles, and devise solutions for sustainable spatial development. In cooperation with the city of Stuttgart and the HfWU’s Master’s program in Sustainable Mobilities, holistic solutions were developed; the task also included setting the group’s own planning priorities.

Supervision:

MA Christina Wilkens

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Birgit Kröniger

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Henning Krug

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Philipp Dechow (HfT Stuttgart)

The concept of knowledge-based urban development, using Nürtingen as an example, formed the content framework for the design lab. The focus was on upgrading the outdoor facilities at Max Planck Gymnasium, located not far from the city center. Together with the existing buildings, which have been repeatedly renovated and expanded since 1914, the outdoor facilities currently present themselves as a conglomeration of different time layers and educational ideas. They have to meet a wide range of requirements in a limited space. The design lab was tasked with developing ideas for the

 contemporary redevelopment of the aging school grounds. 

An important part of this was planning and running a workshop with students. The participation process figured out how the young people see “their” school grounds and what wishes and ideas they have for redesigning them. 

Supervision:

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Birgit Kröniger

Dr. Anna Szilagy-Nagy

On the third day of the excursion, the students traveled to Freising early in the morning. After a brief exploration of the city center and the Domberg, the focus shifted to the analysis of historical and current landscape architecture projects. As part of a drawing exercise, model figures were sketched in a real environment to examine spatial relationships. The groups then visited the gardens and perennial display gardens at Weihenstephan University, which provided practical insights into contemporary plant planning.

On the fourth day, the group visited the Olympic Park in Munich. There, they analyzed and documented the urban and landscape planning qualities of the site. This was followed by a short visit to BMW World and a detour to the former Olympic Village, which is now used as student accommodation, among other things. In the afternoon, there were guided tours of the community-oriented housing projects Wagnis 1 and Wagnis 4, as well as the community garden “Stadtacker.” In addition, the urban planning concept for the Ackermannbogen district was presented, with a particular focus on energy concepts, social sustainability, and district management.

On the fifth and final day, the program was adjusted due to weather conditions. Instead of an outdoor excursion, the students visited the Glyptothek, where a sketching session took place. This was followed by the return journey. 

Supervision:

 Typologie                                         Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Rainer Sachse

 Bau- und Gartengeschichte           Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Klaus Meier

 Gestalten                                   Franziska Korn

 Vegetation                                   Norgard Österle

 Ressourceneffizientes Bauen       Prof. Dr. Nicole Pfoser

 Architektursoziologie und   Raummethoden                               Prof. PD. Dr. Dipl.-Ing. Oliver Frey

The bachelor thesis, with a focus on design and building construction, dealt with the upgrading of the campus grounds and the enhancement of the quality of stay by means of open space design, the external image of the university, and the connection of the area to the banks of the Fil River.

In contrast, the bachelor thesis with an urban planning focus dealt with the surroundings of the university location: the upgrading of the banks of the Fils river and new urban planning impulses on adjacent properties, the strengthening of pedestrian and bicycle traffic, and the closer connection of the university area with the old town.

Supervision:
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Birgit Kröniger
Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Klaus Meier

On the first day of the field trip, the students traveled to Munich. After an introductory lecture, they received thematic input on the English Garden, covering its historical development, design, and urban integration. The park was then explored and analyzed during an on-site tour.

The second day began with another lecture, which served as the basis for the following tasks. In small groups, the students worked on various squares along the axis from Königsplatz to Ludwigstraße. The aim was to capture the spatial structure, composition, and formal and material language of these places and to critically evaluate their uses. Finally, the groups presented their results in a plenary session and discussed them together.

Supervision:

 Typologie                                         Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Rainer Sachse

 Bau- und Gartengeschichte           Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Klaus Meier

 Gestalten                                   Franziska Korn

 Vegetation                                   Norgard Österle

 Ressourceneffizientes Bauen       Prof. Dr. Nicole Pfoser

 Architektursoziologie und   Raummethoden                               Prof. PD. Dr. Dipl.-Ing. Oliver Frey

Inner-city conversion areas play a key role in sustainable urban development. While it was initially the derelict areas of the barracks and the manufacturing industry that were converted, the real estate boom of recent years has also brought previously little-noticed peripheral areas into focus. The site at the former port in Kassel is one such area. Here, a pilot project by a private investor is creating a comprehensive approach to the subsequent use of commercial enterprises, some of which are already derelict. In addition to sustainable and socially responsible residential development, the issues of “blue-green open spaces” and green connections play a particularly important role. The area surrounding the port is closely linked to the banks of the Fulda and the park at the historic lock.
As part of the Bachelor’s thesis, designs with an urban planning or structural design focus were developed, depending on the specialization.

Supervision:
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martin Heseler-Lülff
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Birgit Kröniger

The task of the first semester students was to design a garden with an architectural reference to the given building and in connection with the residents they had chosen. A profile, concept and various plans and views were drawn up.

Supervision:
Prof. Dr.- Ing. Birgit Kröniger

The first-year students learned important design basics in various exercises on the topics of “Form and Function”, “Line and Structure” and the “Representation and Abstraction of Vegetation”. The results were then summarised in a leporello.

Supervision:
Prof. Dr.- Ing. Birgit Kröniger

The importance of versatile green and open spaces for the quality of life in our cities is becoming increasingly clear in view of the effects of climate change. Not only traditional parks, residential courtyards and gardens play an important role here. There is also great potential in the creative activation of unconventional and multi-utilised types of open space. The further development of the listed Paketposthalle in Munich, an architectural icon from the 1960s, into the defining public open space of the planned PaketPost-Areal urban quarter offers one such opportunity.
The focus of the bachelor’s thesis was the examination of the open space utilisation of the hall and the adjacent green areas, with a design or structural design focus depending on the specialisation.

Supervision:
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Birgit Kröniger
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martin Heseler-Lülff