Coop Housing Nettelbeckplatz: Triangle of inclusive community, building culture and local context
The cooperative project represents a succesful approach to combine today’s challenges with intelligent building solutions, energy efficiency, affordable rents as well as social and cultural goals. Despite the creation of additional apartments and common areas, the size and quality of the outdoor space was maintained. The new variety of service facilities and a mixture of household guarantees lifelong perspectives and social cohesion. - an architectural landmark and a win-win-situation for all.
Local
Germany
Berlin
Mainly urban
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
Yes
Horizon 2020
No
Yes
2019-10-01
As a representative of an organisation
Name of the organisation(s): Berliner Bau- und Wohnungsgenossenschaft von 1892 eG Type of organisation: Housing cooperative First name of representative: Dirk Last name of representative: Lönnecker Gender: Male Nationality: Germany Function: Board-Member Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: Knobelsdorffstraße 96 Town: Berlin Postal code: 14050 Country: Germany Direct Tel:+49 30 30302116 E-mail:vorstand@1892.de Website:https://1892.de/
The housing estate Nettelbeckplatz has its roots in the decade of rigid refurbishment strategies of the 1970s which had forced the total demolition of run-down city districts. In 1973 the housing cooperative “1892” took part in that program and realized a new social building complex, located in the traditional worker’s quarter Berlin-Wedding. The originally 150 apartments were grouped around an open courtyard with playgrounds and recreation areas. The cooperative legal form was the basis for building up a young and engaged local community.
40 years later, the demographic change was obvious. More than 40 % of the residents were above 65 years old. Many of them required barrier-free conditions or assisted living alternatives. The community had lost not only its vitality but the model-giving presence in the neighbourhood. Also the state of the building structure was in need of renovation. Besides insufficient energetic standards, the entrance areas and floor plans no longer met actual requirements. Additional social problems in the surrounding created an atmosphere of insecurity and social decline.
The renewal project, finished in 2019, represents a successful approach to combine today’s challenges with intelligent building solutions, energy efficiency, affordable rents as well as social and cultural goals. Providing additional apartments and common spaces without affecting the size or the quality of the existing public areas in the courtyard is one of the main added values.
The variety of offers in the field of service facilities guarantees a high diversity of functions and a mixture of household types. This includes not only lifelong-perspectives, security and co-housing for the tenants. In connection with other innovative impulses in the quarter, the project became a landmark in the vicinity which has increasingly grown more attractive – a win-win situation for all.
Housing Cooperative as democratic member organization
Affordable, inclusive and egalitarian co-housing community
Sustainable, ecological, energy-saving building culture
Social values transferred in aesthetic-architectural form
Local “responses” to global challenges
According to the European Green Deal the “1892” developed lifelong-cycle goals to be implemented in the project. Sustainability could be achieved on different levels, including the following points:
ENERGY-EFFICIENCY: Installation of a photovoltaic system with an energy storage device: The CO2-neutral energy covers the electricity needs of the common area, e.g. lighting, elevators, parking lots and community spaces. At the same time, it helps to reduce the running costs for the building and the living costs for the tenants.
COMPACT CONSTRUCTION: A new building on the partly demolished parking garage with 40 dwellings and additional filling-in functions in the previously open spaces at ground floor level did not require additional plot of land or soil sealing and maintains the existing courtyard as a “green lung”.
SUSTAINABLE BUILDING AND LANDSCAPE DESIGN: The structural planning with renewal of existing components such as conversion of the lighting to LED, modernization of the lifts but also the design of the outdoor facilities according to ecological principles were integrated into the overall sustainable strategy.
The local expert team was enriched by the cooperation with DREEAM (EU funded project “Demonstrating an integrated Renovation approach for Energy Efficiency At the Multi-Building Scale”). Nettelbeckplatz became one of three pilot projects for the “EU Horizon 2020 Goals” in energy-efficient building and renovation strategies. The multinational network promoted professional exchange and mutual learning.
The result was not only energy saving (about 24 % heating, 50 % common electricity) but also the involvement and “education” of the tenants, to be aware of their actual and future energy consumption as a community of “green neighbours”.
In general, the project stands for holistic approaches in sustainable, resource-friendly and future-oriented building strategies and could serve as a blueprint in similar metropolitan areas all over Europe.
In addition to the sustainability challenges, the integration of the project into the urban neighbourhood development as well as in terms of demographic and social factors were central criteria. The renewal program opened up opportunities in terms of aesthetics and design to create a new image and external presentation of the cooperative housing estate. It was not only a question of structural upgrading and partial extension of 40 flats, but also of a new interpretation of a contemporary co-housing model and its positioning within the city quarter.
The final shape of the remodeled ensemble results from a holistic approach to express and transfer innovative social, cultural and ecological ideas into structural design. This synthesis of the 1970s prefabricated buildings with a corresponding modern architectural language has contributed to the residents rediscovering and appropriation of their settlement. During the planning and building process, a former homogeneous structure was converted into a new meaning and identity of the place.
The positive outcome and image was helped by the fact that other innovative projects were also launched in the neighborhood to re-vitalize the socially declined city district with a spirit of modernity and experimentation. An art initiative in the direct neighbourhood started at the same time and transformed a former crematorium into the event location "Silent Green". Both projects represent now alternatives for how existing buildings can be reinterpreted and contribute today to discovering and experiencing new qualities for the people.
In the Nettelbeckplatz project the number of architectural and landscaping measures proof the experimental way of building culture between tradition and innovation. Above all the residents have got positive references and opportunities for identification. The new modern look of the housing estate created a visually striking and representative image of cooperative architecture in an urban surrounding.
Cooperatives as democratic member enterprises are fundamentally oriented to the various forms of inclusion. Also for the “1892” it was self-evident to put the topic in the foreground of the project and to enable affordable, inclusive and lifelong secured housing conditions. The appreciation of egalitarian rights and opportunities for all included the goal to avoid any structural, economic, cultural or social barriers. Starting point was a future-oriented needs analysis as well as the participation of the residents during the whole planning, construction and evaluation process.
A range of structural measures are the result of the newly formed co-housing project. The spectrum includes both the modernization of the old building stock and the new construction parts. The barrier-free interior and exterior areas benefit people with disabilities, but also - under cross-generational aspects - young families with children. Storage areas have been created at ground level for wheelchairs, rollators or prams. In the existing buildings, lifts that could before only be reached via steps, are now directly accessible. New automatic door openers and light switches facilitate access, as do ramps and wheelchair-friendly parking spaces in the underground car park.
A lifelong stay in the familiar surrounding is now possible under many aspects. Changing living options can be adapted to different mobility requirements, including the opportunity to move into the senior residential unit on the ground floor. There the residents with care status receive support from trained nursing staff of a welfare organization.
The project is a model of how inclusive guiding principles and qualities can be implemented through intelligent and innovative overall planning, both in existing and new buildings. This encompasses accessibility on different levels: physical, social, ecological and economic and supports self-determined neighbourhoods with positive impacts on the surrounding context.
Through the establishment of a social neighbourhood management by the City of Berlin a local framework was able to start a discussion of an up-grading program concerning the town district in relation to social, cultural and refurbishment measures.
As one of the actors the “1892” contributed to the improvement of the whole urban environment as well as to its own settlement. The added values were not only noticeable for the members of the housing cooperative but also for the surrounding neighbourhood.
In the Nettelbeckplatz project different methods and strategies were used to involve the residents in the ongoing planning process. The basic cooperative participation structures and bodies such as house speakers, settlement committees and representatives and were of great advantage here.
Benefits for the coop housing residents:
- The participation process, including interviews and plenary sessions, supported the re-organization of the settlement community.
- The improvement of the living standards made it possible, that elderly tenants and people with disabilities could remain in their previous apartments.
- The upgrading in architectural and social terms generated a strong identification.
- The shared spaces and new community facilities are being enjoyed by all target groups.
- The student apartments have a positive and lively influence on the multi-generational mix.
Benefits for civil society in the district:
- The coop project plays a stable and inspiring role within the social district management.
- The exchange and collaboration with local welfare and cultural partners is part of the revitalization and cultural benefits.
- The attractiveness results in high interest in both the apartments and the new commercial spaces in the ground floor.
- The project had a model giving role to contribute to security, sustainability and well-being in the quarter.
The Nettelbeckplatz project was integrated and tied into a partnership network at various levels. Coordinated by the “1892” coop management, there was a continuous progress through knowledge and experience of different disciplines and contexts. Project strategies and inputs were coordinated with a joint approach of stakeholders and institutions. This affected following stages in the process.
PROJECT LEVEL
- “1892” planning group with architects, engineers and landscape designers
- Member network, representatives of the cooperative and settlement committee
LOCAL LEVEL
- Local district social management of Berlin-Wedding
- Collaboration with partners and neighbouring actors in the district
- Professional care of the senior living community by a welfare organization
REGIONAL LEVEL
The project was selected for the City of Berlin’s award for Experimental Housing Innovation (SIWA)
EUROPEAN LEVEL
- DREEAM monitoring project for the “EU Horizon 2020 Goals” in energy efficient building renovation strategies (see point sustainability)
Team working was developed from a single urban renewal project to a European-influenced joint venture. This exemplifies the future-oriented way to use partnership networks, interdisciplinary competence and transfer of different stakeholders. Additionally, the project benefitted from a broad range of perspectives and expertise.
Within the holistic project, various interdisciplinary strategies and measures were applied during the planning and construction phase. The cooperative “1892” did not limit itself to a “normal” renovation project, but took an experimental way to incorporate the latest research and knowledge fields, especially in relation to energy saving, socio-cultural aspects, sustainable architecture and landscape planning.
The building innovations included future-oriented engineering measures with regard to solar energy, LED lighting, adapted lift construction or digital door opening systems. The landscaping of the outdoor area applied modern standards in irrigation, drainage and ecological planting.
Through the investigations and research approaches of the DREEAM team (see points sustainability and stakeholders) there was the positive combination of energy-efficient research with social science techniques, which included a series of interviews with residents about their actual and anticipated living habits.
By analyzing the past and future demographic development the cooperative decided to create more variety and a new mix of households to overcome the existing homogeneity, including additional target groups like students, artists and young families.
The “1892" also took an innovative approach in terms of economic efficiency and sustainable rents in affordable housing. In the spirit of cooperative solidarity, among all coop members a savings bond was issued to create a third column of financing.
The results are learning processes in technical, socio-scientific and demographic knowledge fields as well as the interaction of building organization and appropriation by the cooperative community - an approach that will positively influence the further life cycle of the buildings and people.
The Nettelbeckplatz project covers the range of Category 2 "Regaining a sense of belonging" in different ways. As mentioned before (see quality of experience for people) the outcome shows various impulses for a new positive identification and meaning of home. It was crucial that the residents were continuously involved during the planning process and that this generally led to a high level of ongoing acceptance.
The respectful renewal of the historical settlement complex in combination with the new built extensions, a variety of socio-cultural activities in the surrounding neighbourhood and the adaptation of contemporary demographic needs generated a new sense of future-oriented life-style. The intergenerational exchange between seniors, students, singles or young families is also an important link and contributes to the revival of community cohesion.
Many impulses and innovative ideas were brought to the project due to the multitude of challenging social and structural requirements and the characteristics of the local context. That in combination with the physical transformation as well as the responsible reaction on various sustainable energy-saving and ecological measures made the project successful.
The innovative architectural form of the new building helped to visualize and shape a future appearance, developed on the cooperative idea of common, intergenerational and solidarity living. The project was already presented as a best-practice example at conferences and on-site visits.
The whole project stands for a successful and complex approach to meet today's social and ecological challenges and to translate them into an interdisciplinary overall concept. This contributes significantly to a new spirit, identification and consciousness of the residents. Furthermore, the non-profit oriented cooperative legal form is a guarantee, not only in the planning phase but permanently, to secure the ideas of belonging and lifelong housing perspectives.
The cooperative project was not intended to be a standard modernization of a housing estate in need of renovation, but rather a model example to address current problems in European metropolises, such as land exploitation, speculation and segregation, and to offer alternative solutions on the local level.
It was about the sustainable, inclusive and future-orientated upgrading and extension of existing building structures in visual synthesis with new, advanced architectural ideas. The innovative character – besides of mainstream actions – was evident in relation to various topics:
Cooperation in a partnership network
- Building up local as well as European networks to learn from each other and integrate new perspectives and research results
- Generating additional financing resources through a solidarity model within the whole cooperative by savings bonds
- Continuous participation of the coop members from the planning process onwards
Holistic and process-based approaches
- Development of new strategies to cope with complex requirements in combination with social, technical and architectural solutions
- Linking together modernization, sustainability, energy-efficiency, aesthetics and new construction programs
- The co-housing model to include old and new residents and to create social cohesion
Architecture and building culture
- Sustainable re-densification and extension of a settlement without sealing more plot of land (e.g. Nettelbeckplatz new building on a partly demolished parking garage)
- Flexibility of floor plans to enable future new uses and adjustments
- Integrating and shaping the building project in line with the urban neighbourhood structures
As a non-profit and member organization, the first step for the “1892” was a fundamental analysis of the requirements for the modernization program, possible building extensions and the overall demographic development. It was not about a pure renewal project but about the question of how the settlement and the resident group should be developed within a holistic approach. How co-housing and community models could be made affordable, sustainable and viable in the future?
This approach led to the use of different methods and procedures (see also points stakeholders, knowledge fields, innovation):
Analysis
Historical starting point: Identification of the problems, developing ideas and solutions for the future image and role of the settlement in the urban context, discussions and questions about “How do we want to live tomorrow? What kind of measures are suitable in this specific context?”.
Participation process
In a cooperative, it is usual to involve the members and representatives in the planning processes. This was also done in this project by participating the residents, the house speakers and the settlement committee in plenary sessions as well as in individual consultations.
Holistic planning and construction phase
Architecture/urban and landscape planning: Transfer of the social and technical challenges into an innovative structural and aesthetic form
Coordination with local networks and neighbourhood management
Applying for and participation in competitions and development programs of the city of Berlin (e. g. SIWA Experimental Housing Innovation Award)
Partner in the European network EFL (European Federation for Living) and in the monitoring and evaluation platform DREEAM (see point sustainability)
The experimental way of the project Nettelbeckplatz could be a stimulus to develop similar holistic strategies in social housing and to unite all participants towards a common goal. Generally, there is no solution or recipe for a “construction kit” that extracts individual elements and to put them together into another context.
Nevertheless there are some principles which could inspire other welfare-oriented actors on the housing market. Improving inner-city residential areas is not about strategies that are imposed from top-down, but should be developed from the bottom up. In doing so, it is important to preserve grown civil structures and at the same time enhance them through innovative and future oriented measures.
In the Nettelbeckplatz project, the following individual elements could provide impulses for replication:
- Early involvement and participation of residents
- Developing ideas for inclusive and lifelong co-housing and cohesion
- Collaboration with innovative and social engaged architects, building technicians and consultants for energy saving and tenant electricity
- Sustainable densification in urban city locations while preserving existing climate friendly open spaces
- Respecting the historical heritage while developing and modernizing at the same time
- Interdisciplinary cooperation and exchange with partners and experts at different levels
Learning from the Nettelbeckplatz example could also be that housing construction is not only about the “hardware”, the structural solution, but also about intangible values throughout the entire life cycle of the project. Future matters.
The Nettelbeckplatz project presents a way how actual challenges in Europe's metropolises can be addressed locally. The focus wasn’t just on new constructions, but also on re-densification and intelligent conversion of existing buildings. At the same time, the pressure on the housing market places high demands to avoid negative effects such as segregation and gentrification. On a small scale, the “1892” tried to find solutions in the triangle of values: sustainability, inclusion and building culture.
Local “answers” to global challenges:
Climate and energy crisis:
- Measures of energy-efficiency
- Photovoltaic installations to produce “green” energy with a storage system
- Re-densification to prevent consumption of land plots
Housing markets under pressure
- Affordable housing based on non-profit principles
- Multi-generational egalitarian living in an inclusive community
- Linking together social and architectural-aesthetic goals
Methods, Project processing
- Networking with local and external partners
- Participation of the residents
- “Learning” and research processes
