Based on an experience report by Simon Klammer, Master’s student in Urban Development NRW, TH Köln.
In January, students of the Master’s program in Urban Development NRW at TH Köln visited the CUBITY Atelierhaus as part of an excursion. In their module “Project and Design,” the students are working on a site in Olpe-Lütringhausen. In order to work intensively on their designs, they used CUBITY as a place for learning and working for three days.
Tour of the resettlement area Morschenich-Neu
On January 12, the students traveled from Cologne to Merzenich. After an introduction to CUBITY and settling into the Cubes, they took their first walk through the resettlement area of Morschenich-Neu. “This introduction helped us greatly in getting to know the place, its history, and its special atmosphere, and in using it as inspiration for our own design work,” explained Simon Klammer, Master’s student in Urban Development NRW. This was followed by an intensive working phase at CUBITY, accompanied by consultations and constructive exchanges on the projects.
The students used their stay at the CUBITY Atelierhaus for intensive working sessions. © Simon Klammer – Master Urban Development NRW
Experiencing Future Perspectives and Transformation firsthand
The second day began with another short working session before the students set off on an excursion to the edge of the open-pit lignite mine. “We visited the towns of Bürgewald and Manheim, where today only a few people still live,” reported Klammer. “The visit to the Terra Nova viewing platform was particularly impressive, as it allowed us to grasp the enormous scale of lignite mining. These impressions had a lasting impact on our engagement with space, transformation, and future perspectives.” In the afternoon, the students continued their work at CUBITY, using the calm and focused atmosphere for consultations and design work. They ended the evening with shared cooking, table tennis, and card games. On the final day, a concluding working phase was scheduled before they began their journey home.
From CUBITY, the students took an excursion to the edge of the open-pit lignite mine. © Simon Klammer – Master Urban Development NRW
„Overall, the project week was a complete success for our course. In addition to the productive working phases, we were able to grow closer as first-semester students, get to know each other better, and develop a strong sense of community. The special location, the atmosphere of Cubity, and the opportunity to work in a focused way while also exchanging ideas with one another made this experience particularly valuable for us.”
Design Project Group I