The Britta and Ulrich Findeisen Foundation for Art and Architecture is creating a pioneering location for research, teaching and education
The Britta and Ulrich Findeisen Foundation for Art and Architecture has acquired CUBITY, which was developed by TU Darmstadt for the Solar Declathon Europe in Versailles in 2014, from Deutsche Fertighaus Holding (DFH Group). The building currently used as the CUBITY-LivingLAB by Nassauischen Heimstaette Wohnstadt in Frankfurt am Main is to be given a new location on Poolplatz in the municipality of Merzenich from spring 2022 and will be given a new purpose as a CUBITY Atelier House. In the CUBITY Atelier House, people from all over the world will temporarily research and live on the topics of architecture, urban planning, nature and landscape development as part of the structural change at the Hambach open-cast mine.
The official handover of the building application at the new location will take place on Thursday, December 23, 2021 at 2 pm.
Development opportunities and future projects: Realizing big ideas and structurally effective projects
Merzenich may be a small municipality in the heart of the Rhenish lignite mining area in North Rhine-Westphalia in the district of Dueren, but it has nothing to hide. A total of around 9,600 people live and work in the municipality with their diverse life stories and backgrounds, including 6,900 inhabitants on 15.93 km² in the districts of Merzenich, 1,200 inhabitants on 4.62 km² in Girbelsrath and 1,381 inhabitants on 11.31 km² in Golzheim. “No one knows as much as all of us together” reads an inscription on a Danish town hall door. This collective knowledge enables development and progress.
In the CUBITY Atelier House of the Findeisen Foundation, people from all over the world will temporarily research and live on the topics of architecture, urban development, nature and landscape development as part of the structural change at the Hambach open-cast mine. Among other things, the topics of Hambach open-cast mine, Hambach Forest and the transformation of Alt-Morschenich into a “place of the future” can be examined in more detail here. In this context, the results can be presented in the form of exhibitions and lectures. Other educational events for preschool and primary school children should also be possible as part of the overall concept.
The CUBITY Atelier House will also be used for various events organized by the municipality of Merzenich and RWE. Conferences and readings are planned here. Only the first floor will be used for events such as exhibitions, readings, lectures, etc., which attract large numbers of visitors. The upper floor will remain a private retreat for the more temporary residents.
A maximum seating capacity of 40 is to be assumed. Even for exhibitions where people mainly stand, no more than 80 people can be expected in the building. Accordingly, CUBITY is not a place of assembly. The use of the temporary research and living space is limited to 12 people due to the 12 existing living cells. These cells each consist of a bedroom and workspace with associated sanitary facilities. The remaining areas, such as the kitchen, lounge and market square, are for communal use. The building will be used throughout the year and will be used on weekdays as well as Sundays and public holidays. The main use takes place from 07:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.