Urban regeneration, architecture of Lausitzer Str 38 in Berlin

Urban regeneration, architecture of Lausitzer Str 38 in Berlin is the sixth article on projects from practice. The Genowo Cooperative One of the leading property and construction firms in Berlin has taken their duty to renovate the old fabric buildings in Berlin. Lausitzer Building 38 is located in a residential neighborhood in Berlin adjacent to the central landscape of Gorlitzer Park on the edge of the spree River in the northeast of Germany. Genowo Cooperative approach was sustainable construction that creates communal living, reduces the life cycle cost of construction of housing, and secures living units that are protected from speculation. See Figure 1 street view of the building.

This construction project aims to renovate a residential that will be affordable for the existing tenants and to connect this building to the adjacent old building by balconies in terms of external form. That architectural design gives continuity to the urban design of the street facades of the buildings.

The existing street architecture is of modern style and has a harmony of light and bright colors mainly white color, street balconies of steel decorative forms, and simple glass-shaped windows. The Genowo Cooperative maintained the unity of form, color, and materials used in the strip elevations of the facades.

The project includes an old building that was renovated, and a new part connected in the façade by balconies. See Figure 2 the old building street view before renovation.

The building is a ground plus 5 floors residential building in an old quarter. The architecture firm redesigned the external elevations and connection with the new building on the corner of the street. The facades were redesigned to be highly insulated in addition to the building roof. District heating of all buildings and addition of future infrastructure of solar panel installation. At the ground floor level, a ventilation system with heat recovery was installed. See the newly renovated building from the street view in Figure 3.

The architecture firm by combining the old building, which was built in the 1950’s, and the new building in one renovated building had the aim to bring together the old tenants and the new tenants. To strengthen the community ties and social network in the old neighborhood with the new neighborhood.

The new entrance was redesigned as part of the new modern design connecting the old building and the new in a pathway leading to backyard open space. The entrance gives access to the apartments in the old building and the new building. The main entrance leads to as well to a foyer that includes vertical circulation, the staircase, and an elevator on the upper floors. See Figure 4 the main entrance view from the street.

Returning to the plans the ground floor has a foyer that connects the ground-floor apartments to the upper-floor apartments. See Figure 5 for the ground floor plan.

The second-floor plan to the fifth-floor plan is composed of one main apartment of 120 Sqm of two-bedroom flats and two smaller apartments of 45-65 Sqm of one-bedroom flats. Each apartment in the old renovated and the new building has a balcony with a terrace. See Figures 6, and 7 of the second floor and sixth floor.

On the fifth floor, all apartments have access to the communal roof terrace which was decorated by the tenants themselves. An addition of self-made landscape design by tenants created a recreational area for social gatherings and outdoor activities like reading and gathering. See Figure 8 of the external landscape terrace roof.

The total construction and renovation of this project cost 2.5 million euros. The architectural building design started in 2008 and the construction competition date was 2011.