Abstract:

The project transforms a fragmented university enclave in the inner city of Aachen (Germany) into a shared civic space for production, exchange, and everyday encounter. Set within a former industrial ensemble and vacant academic buildings, the proposal reactivates an isolated superblock as an inclusive creative recycling campus, open to students, artists and the wider city.

Instead of new construction, the design works mainly with the existing building stock. Vacant structures are adapted and reused, preserving their material and historical value while allowing new programs to emerge.

The spatial core of the project is the connection of two previously separated courtyards into a continuous, car-free area. This central open space functions as the social heart, surrounded by recycling and repair workshops, a tool library, a campus store, a café that serves as an open foyer for exhibitions and events, a model building hall as well as open study rooms. Flexible layouts and visible work processes support interaction and shared use.

Coexistence is understood as both a social and ecological condition. Through partial de-sealing, new planting, and the reintroduction of water, the outdoor spaces form a green corridor that improves microclimate conditions and supports biodiversity.

The project is conceived as a phased transformation, initially activated through temporary interventions and gradually developing into a durable and resilient community resource.