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.

In the “Space and Form” module, students in the 2025 summer semester examined the analysis and further development of urban districts in the Ostfildern area. The aim was to use the lecture as a basis for understanding the interplay between buildings, open spaces, and streets, and to develop their own strategies for designing high-quality urban spaces.

There were four different neighborhoods to choose from: the Ruit district, Scharnhauser Park (west and east sides), and the Akademiegärten in Neuhausen. The knowledge gained was then translated into a conceptual design for the further development of the neighborhoods.

Supervision:                                          Prof. Cornelia Bott                          Dipl.-Ing. Michael Schröder       Tutorin Alina Fehlhaber 

The cycle path network between Tübingen and Rottenburg from a landscape architecture perspective

A fast cycle route is to be built between Tübingen and Rottenburg am Neckar. The regional council has been planning the project since 2020, and in 2023, the preferred option 2b was chosen. This route runs from Derendingen along the southern side of the B 28, crosses it, and then follows the former construction road parallel to the B 28. In Kiebingen, the route crosses the Neckar River and connects to the Rottenburg cycle path network.

The project offers an opportunity to take a comprehensive look at the region’s bicycle network: where does it work well, where are there gaps, and what improvements can the new connection bring about? The focus is also on questions of sensible networking, connectivity, and landscape-compatible design. 

Supervision:                                           Prof. Dr.-Ing. Henning Krug           Dipl.-Ing. (TUM) LA Max Hansen     Dr. Kilian van Lier                           David Jones

In the subject ‘Space and Form’, urban districts in Tübingen were analysed and further developed in summer semester 2024. The aim was to analyse how buildings, open spaces and streets function on the basis of the lecture and to develop their own strategies for designing urban spaces. The students were able to choose between four neighbourhoods: Mühlenviertel, Alte Weberei, Französisches Viertel and Lorettoviertel. What they learned was then to be presented in a draft concept for the further development of the neighbourhood.

Supervision: Prof Rainer Sachse

Together with Pennsylvania State University, we have redesigned three church yards in Cologne’s city centre at the invitation of the Diocese of Cologne. The aim was to create lively meeting places that generate more benefit for people and the urban space. The designs were developed in international teams and then turned into models by the Nürtingen students.

Instructors:                                           Prof. Rainer Sachse (HFWU), David Welter (PennState / AIB), Prof. Paul Daniel Marriott (PennState)

Together with students from Pennsylvania State University, we explored Venice through drawing. On the first day we explored the city, on the second day we visited the Architecture Biennale and sketched various projects. The last two days were spent sketching ideas for new open spaces in Venice.

> Impressions Venice Workshop

Supervision:
Prof. Rainer Sachse (HFWU)
David Welters (AIB / PennState)

For this year’s cooperation project with Pennsylvania State University, we traveled to Venice for a week!  We visited the architecture Biemanle, analyzed the city, made impromptu designs and enjoyed a great time together in the lagoon city. Here are some impressions of our “Venice Design Charette”…

Supervision:
Prof. Rainer Sachse (HFWU)
David Welters (AIB / PennState)

Photos:
Jens Abele, Florian Königs, Rainer Sachse, Ronja Sahler, David Welters

The Balingen State Garden Show was a huge success with almost 500,000 visitors. We are very happy to have contributed to this success story with our student ‘bridge gardens’! The gardens were designed in collaboration with students from Pennsylvania State University.

photos:
Nathalie Rothweiler + Claudia Langenbucher

advisors:
Prof. Dipl.-Ing- Rainer Sachse
Prof. Kenneth Tamminga (Pennsylvania State University)
David Welters (AIB)

On 22 June, the summer festival will take place at the Braike Campus! Look forward to small workshops, cool games, exhibitions of various degree programmes and the finest live music for your ears! Food and drink will also be provided! We are looking forward to seeing you!

In the international ideas competition of the German Society for Garden Art and Landscape Culture (DGGL e. V.) for students and young landscape architects, two students from our university were able to take the first two places in the course of the BuGA Mannheim 2023. What a great achievement! Congratulations!

In the fall of 2022, we organized a summer school in Balingen together with Pennsylvania State University (USA). We lived and worked together for a week on the grounds of the garden show and presented our designs to a professional jury at the end. Three of the designs will be realized at the garden show in 2023!

Instructors:

Prof. Dipl.-Ing- Rainer Sachse
Prof. Kenneth Tamminga (Pennsylvania State University)
David Welters (AIB)

During the summer festival at the Braike in June this year, this year’s open space project “Geodome” was officially inaugurated as a campus stage. In beautiful weather, the one or other cool beer could be enjoyed with various lectures, theater performances and musical contributions.

How can renewable resources become part of our urban landscape? Research is being conducted on this topic in the forest laboratory in Cologne. The idea is to use domestic plants for energy supply instead of ecologically dead corn and rape cultures. Students of landscape architecture and architecture from four universities spent a week together in the forest laboratory to get to know the new energy landscapes and to deal with them creatively. Fascinating plant sculptures were created, which are to make the population aware of the beauty of the new forest forms.
To document the resulting works, small videos were shot instead of making drawings or plans.

More about the forest laboratory project can be found >here.

The Forest Laboratory Workshop was organized by the RWTH Aachen University and carried out together with the HFWU Nürtingen, the TU München, the Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Paris La Villette and the Alanus Hochschule Alfter.

Supervisor (HFWU):
Prof. Rainer Sachse

videos: The videos were shot by the respective editors.