On July 4, Gesche and Michael Hugger and Benita von der Schulenburg from the Herzensdienste Foundation organized a forward-looking workshop at the CUBITY Atelier House in Merzenich. The workshop was led by moderators Christiane Friedemann, Managing Director at Zukunftsinstitut Workshop GmbH, and Vitalia Safronova, Trend Research & Innovation Management at Zukunftsinstitut Workshop GmbH. The Findeisen Foundation team led by Markus Schmale, Chairman of the Britta and Ulrich Findeisen Foundation for Art and Architecture, warmly welcomed all participants to CUBITY.
The Future of Bürgewald on the Workshop Agenda
The workshop focused on the future of Bürgewald, formerly Morschenich-Alt, which has been affected by the structural change in the Rhenish mining area. Accompanied by experts from the Zukunftsinstitut, the participants engaged in intensive brainstorming to develop innovative ideas and sustainable concepts. The event was moderated by Christiane Friedemann and Vitalia Safronova from the Zukunftsinstitut, who used various methodological approaches to help structure and deepen the discussions.
Defining a Specific Research Assignment
The core of the workshop was the formulation of a research question to link sustainability, village coexistence, social aspects and architecture. The Zukunftsinstitut’s methodological approaches helped to crystallize the heart as the central leitmotif for further work. This was reflected in the consideration of dimensions such as “Heart & Architecture” and “Heart & Social”, where topics such as security, quality of life and social interaction played a decisive role. Particularly relevant were the findings that aspects such as security, atmospheres, liveable spaces and a space for joy must be taken into account in the architectural context. At the same time, social dimensions such as curiosity, respect, permeability and community were identified as key factors.
Transformation of the Rhenish Mining Area in the Interests of Society
A particularly important aspect of the workshop was the role of the Herzensdienste Foundation in the context of structural change measures. The foundation will play a proactive role in actively shaping the transformation of the region, promoting child- and youth-friendly concepts and social participation in rural areas. This includes not only the architectural and social design of the site, but also the involvement of the local population and the creation of a liveable, future-oriented environment. It was discussed what a “heart-anchored architecture” and social structure could look like in the new civic forest.
“Sustainable and Heart-Anchored Transformation of Bürgewald”
At the end of the event, the participants took a walk through Bürgewald together. This gave them the opportunity to experience the current atmosphere on site and to expand on the ideas and concepts developed previously. This direct exchange and the observations on site provided valuable insights and suggestions for further work.
The workshop thus represented a first stage in approaching joint foundation work in the Rhenish mining area. The collaboration between the two foundations impressively demonstrates how interdisciplinary approaches and joint commitment can drive sustainable and heartfelt change. We are already looking forward to the next workshops and to further concretizing and implementing the developed concepts.