Alsdorf „Im Busch“

Context

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The town of Aldorf (pop. approx. 47,000) lies north of Aachen. The urban district Busch is on the urban fringe, directly next to the former mine "Anna". Because coal mining was abandoned in the north region of Aachen, Alsdorf was highly affected by structural problems and very high unemployment. The former coal miners' settlement "Im Busch" is mainly characterised by council flats and a difficult social structure.

Project description

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As part of a job creation and qualification measure, 36 affordable housing units in four 2 to 3-storey buildings were built, which complemented an existing settlement. Together with a community house, they enclose an open, car-free inner courtyard.

During the project, 24 long-term unemployed people were qualified as building craftsmen.

The Gemeinnützige Siedlungsgesellschaft mbH Alsdorf (Non-profit Settlement Society Alsdorf) led the project as an investor together with the support of the "Club for general and professional further education e.V." (Verein für allgemeine und berufliche Weiterbildung e.V.) and in cooperation with the town of Alsdorf.

In the second construction phase, three existing shelters for the homeless were converted and extended. With this, 18 additional flats were created. Here too, long-term unemployed people were involved in the conversion work.

Project chronology

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Year	Event
Oct. 1996	Start of construction work
Dec. 1997	Completion
Beginning of 1998	Moving in

Aims

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• Qualification and employment
• Creating high-quality, low-cost housing
• Upgrading of an existing settlement
• Continuity of the existing tenants
• Facilities for the tenants and the urban district

Types of measures

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• Building work mainly carried out by long-term unemployed and people receiving welfare aid
• Targeted allocation of flats to tenants of the neighbouring settlement
• Connecting the new inner courtyard with the existing development path
• Job creation (caretaker) and professional qualification (building craftsmen)

Assistance through the special programme "Building housing, promoting employment" NRW (Wohnungen bauen, Beschäftigung fördern)

Housing building programme "Trendsetting building projects" (Zunkunftsweisende Bauvorhaben)

EU programme RECHAR for the promotion of employment in areas where coal mining was abandoned

Innovations

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This building project distinguishes itself in offering high-quality, low-cost housing on the one hand and also in the building work which contributed to the qualification and employment of unemployed people on the other hand. Offering a community house, the procedure of allocating the flats and the support for the tenants promoted the architectural and social integration into the existing settlement structure and with this are contributions towards urban district work. Prefabricated timber frame constructions that were (series) produced by the participants themselves made the cost-effective architecture possible.

Sources

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• NRW Federal Institute for Building (ed.), Neues Wohnen in NRW (New living in NRW), Aachen, 1999, http://www.lb.nrw.de
• Min. for Building and Housing NRW (ed.), Building housing, promoting employment, Düsseldorf 1997

Further information

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• http://www.alsdorf.de/

The projekt site ist to be found at postal code: 52477 - town: Alsdorf - street: Buschstraße.

Protagonists

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• Gemeinnützige Siedlungsgesellschaft mbH GSG, Annastr. 10, 52477 Alsdorf, Tel. 02404/9454-0, Fax: 02404/9454-22 Mr Heiner Berlipp, Web: http://www.gsg-alsdorf.de (Investor/property developer)
• Verein für allgemeine und berufliche Weiterbildung e.V. VABW, Alfred-Brehm-Str. 29, 52477 Alsdorf, Tel. 02404/5506-0, Web: http://www.vabw.de (Supporter of the measures)
• Planning office Pollmanns + Jasper Architects: Architects office Pollmanns, Walheimerstr. 81, 52076 Aachen, Tel. 02408/58090 Fax 02408/58330, Email: pollmannshajo@freenet.de and Architects office Jasper, Senkestr. 20 A, 52076 Aachen, Tel. 02408/8370 Fax 02408/8361, Email: info@architekt-jasper.de, Web: http://www.architekt-jasper.de