Building becomes simpler, especially by building less. Following this principle, the existing buildings are examined in terms of their load-bearing structure and construction, given geometry, and spatial qualities. In the spirit of “as little as possible and no more than necessary,” the existing elements are preserved as much as possible, and with minimal intervention, the space is adapted to serve as student housing. This approach of strengthening and expanding the existing structure results in savings in costs, material use, and greenhouse gas emissions, while also offering aesthetic and typological potential.
The former manufacturing building on Rochusstraße will largely be preserved and supplemented by a colonnade layer extending southward. The entire vertical circulation, including the existing lift shaft, will remain in operation. The generous ceiling heights of the existing structure will be utilized by adding sleeping lofts above the bathrooms. The dilapidated pitched roof will be replaced with a new attic storey. The chapel extension on Seilgraben will also be preserved and will accommodate new circulation and infrastructure for the room layers positioned in front on both sides.
The resulting volumes are compact and linear, simple and raw in their materiality. The atmosphere and identity of the spaces are derived from the existing structure and the staged layering of the historical time periods embedded within.
