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Architects: Dorschner Kahl Architects, Heiner Mildner Architects
- Area: 23000 m²
- Year: 2022
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Photographs:Philip Heckhausen
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Lead Architects: Adrian Dorschner, Lydia Heine, Tobias Kahl, Thorsten Mildner
Text description provided by the architects. In the heart of Erfurt, the Johanniter Unfallhilfe has brought to life a trio of multigenerational residential buildings known as "Andreasgärten." Comprising approximately 100 rental apartments, a therapy center offering social and medical services, a chapel, and a kindergarten, this visionary development seeks to foster communal living while symbolizing sustainable urban progress in Erfurt through its distinctive wooden architecture.
Positioned adjacent to the Zitadelle (Citadel) on Petersberg, the new neighborhood consists of three slender, three-story wooden buildings enveloping inviting verandas and a semi-public garden adorned with fruit trees, shrubs, and perennials. The buildings have been thoughtfully designed to facilitate the seamless integration of exterior and interior spaces.
Each of the three slender wooden structures, with its distinct surrounding veranda, encloses a communal, semi-public garden that serves as a meeting point for residents, facilitated by the entrances of the residential buildings facing this inner courtyard. The dynamic wooden architecture also complements the fortress and urban landscape, filling in the fragmented greenbelt surrounding the Zitadelle.
The rental apartments, distributed across the three buildings, cater to diverse lifestyles, accommodating families, couples, and individuals of all ages. Additionally, two nursing communities on the ground floors provide a new home for older individuals who desire communal living. Social and medical services, along with a multipurpose room, are readily available to all residents.
The verandas play a pivotal role in defining the architectural expression of the three residential buildings, serving as a vital link between private living spaces and the semi-public courtyard of the multigenerational neighborhood. These verandas also act as communication spaces, extending the interior realm outward and interconnecting the buildings across the courtyard. Most apartments enjoy a two-sided orientation, providing views of both the inner courtyard and the surrounding cityscape, with the verandas seamlessly stretching from one building to another. This thoughtful design offers residents the opportunity to embrace life in the garden between buildings while also enjoying quieter, private areas facing the external landscape.
Aesthetically, the facade design of the residential buildings successfully combines structural logic with a harmonious effect, showcasing the framing and wall cladding. The buildings boast a hybrid construction method, featuring reinforced concrete access cores and masonry on the ground floor, while the upper floor proudly displays prefabricated cross-laminated timber walls and visible cross-laminated timber ceilings.
Notably, the kindergarten, providing space for 111 children aged one to school entry, is situated in a protected, historic brick former carriage house below Zitadelle Petersberg. An architectural marvel, the wooden extension with an open veranda expands the existing structure, serving as a bridge between the new residential buildings and the pre-existing heritage. This adaptive reuse honors both the sustainable principles of the new neighborhood and the historical significance of the location.
In conclusion, "Andreasgärten" embodies a testament to sustainable and inclusive urban living in Erfurt. It not only fosters communal connections but also stands as an architectural emblem of progressive urban development, blending harmoniously with the city's past and pointing towards a brighter, more interconnected future.
