Project: On and above the roofs of Aachen - Conquest of the sky

Winter semester 2022/23

Duration: one semester

Above the rooftops - Under the sky

The voices for changing our current way of life are getting louder and louder: "Think differently, rethink, rethink" is often the motto here.
In almost all cities there is too much sealed surface and the associated ecological consequences such as flooding and overheating. Large-scale unsealing of ground surfaces is often not possible for functional and financial reasons. However, if one looks upwards, the many unused square meters of roof surfaces come to the eye of the beholder as "spaces of opportunity".
Due to the rapid population growth, more and more living space is required. This is accompanied by an increasing demand for public spaces, cultural and recreational venues, as well as food and energy needs.
At the same time, the demand for "accessibility of the sky above the city for all" is getting louder: instead of adding housing in the luxury price segment, a roof order reserved for public uses, would be a way to counteract the social inequality that has become more and more visible due to Corona.
The reinterpretation of our traditional rooftops could thus be a contribution to better withstand not only the current climatic challenges, but also social ones.
The hidden potential of the "fifth facade" will be made visible this winter semester. Together we will look for alternative concepts of use and possibilities of implementation in order to meet the conglomerate of increasing needs of the complex interrelations of "living, leisure, work and supply". Within the framework of this course, each student will work out the potential of a flat roof in the city center of Aachen, animate it with a conceptual use and finally transform it architecturally in a design.