Design for creative Networks

// DESIGN FOR CREATIVE NETWORKS

Starting point for the design laboratory of this summer is the festival „Kulturelle Landpartie“ which attracts every year up to 60.000 people for 600 manifestations to the Wendland area in the East of Niedersachsen. Visitors, creatives and artists from the metropolises of Berlin, Hamburg, and Hannover merge with a vivid local creative scene in this cultural event far away from metropolitan cores. In a research phase, the laboratory aims to explore the spatial logics underlying this festival, leading to pathways of innovation— including debates between identifying streamlines and creative opportunities („fringes“). In parallel, the future role of the festival for creative and cultural economy and for new ideas of living in Wendland are to be explored—as one of the most remote areas of Germany, with strong rural character and unique heritage values, but also with the risk of abandonment and neglect („fringes“); with the aim to envision its future as a Common Habitat. In the design phase, the laboratory will connect different scales of access towards the active design of spatial qualities, of spatial visions and branding, and of transformations processes: between a regional scale, a scale of small towns and hamlets, and architectural interventions and new typologies—including new living and working models, a strong focus on young people, for cultural and productive spaces, and for new mobility. INTRODUCTION

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10 CONCEPT AND OBJECTIVES In the concept of the study project FRINGES, for the Wendland area innovations are to be found for the festival itself, for enhancing the cultural-creative scene towards a maker culture and econonomy, and, mainly, for envisioning a common habitat of the future as model for resilient peripheries in Europe. Thus, the approach of Dynamics of Periphery for defining new concepts of decentralised Habitat are connected with this research, especially in a situtation of high pressure in urban centres. The concrete work of the studio focuses on the contribution of iniatives and ideas of commoning and a strong traditon in civil engagement and entrepreneurship are explored towards upscaling their future role for territorial development, settlement design and architecture. The cultural and natural heritage of several layers are targeted: 100 Rundlinge (round hamlets), a characteristic settlement form of large rural houses around common greens, the connected landscape structures, as well as of small towns, systems of channels, the Elbe valley, intangible heritage in knowledge and traditions; more recent layers include the former iron curtain in the area and especially the background of protest and alternative culture, bio-agriculture, renewable energy and climate protection since the 1980ies. In front of general criticalities in the area in terms of economic and demographic trends, environmental degradation, water and climate risks, etc., the project specifically focuses on precise and concrete questions for settlement: the need of young entrepreneurs and skilled workers to sustain and foster SME and craft activities, the increasing gentrification due to secondary homes, the danger of „ghost-villages“ amongst the 100 Rundlinge, the abandonment and loss of material and immaterial heritage, regarding houses, public space, village greens, built infrastructures, knowledge and abilities connected with traditions. Overall, we address the question „why and how to live in Wendland” as a question how to ENVISION the living places of the future and to share a vision of the territory. We see this focus as a strong factor and inspiring force to enhance discussions, planning, and programming for sustainable development. qualities of living spaces can be constructed by the communities, but they demand new concepts and tools of co-design, of urban planning frameworks, and of comprehensive policies.

For the urban-territorial design project FRINGES, this concept leads to a series of connected objectives:

1. Analysing settlement phenomena outside of metropolitan cores with an urbanistic and architectural approach

2. Exploring potentialities and limitations to enhance creative-cultural economy towards sustainable development in conjunction with spatial and social capital

3. Developing design in architectural, urbanistic, and territorial scales as active factor for strategic development and liveable space

4. Redefinitioning role, form, programme, and shape of centralities, territorial networks, public and private elements of settlement

5. Formulating pathways towards a Common Habitat: rural renaissance, rise of small-medium towns, and new interactions with metropolises. The impact of a vision of Common Habitat and urban-territorial ideas for its elements and networks is targeted towards comprehensively innovating different fields that can enhance emerging societies and economies: - attractivity for young generation (space of possibilities) - attractivity as open and international place - creative hub for digitisation, maker movement and social innovation - new models of living: work-living models, temporary and multi-place models - connecting separated economic activities: light industries, craft, agriculture, leisure, sports, culture - regional branding - sustainable and relational tourism models - new adaptive and flexible mobility models METHODOLOGY

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Typical half timberd four stand house // Alissa Diesch