Freiburg-Vauban „Urban District Building 037“

Context

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The Vauban urban neighbourhood is located on the southern outskirts of Freiburg (pop. 218,000), approx. 2.5 km from the city centre. Until it was vacated in August 1992, the site was used by the military. In 1993, the municipal council decided to create a new urban district as part of urban planning development measures. In the urban planning competition for the Vauban neighbourhood, a concept to build an urban district centre in the area of Haus 037 was developed. The Forum Vauban e.V. association, as management organisation of the citizen participation in the planning process, together with other initiatives, pointed out the need for an urban district centre and the importance for the social development of the urban district.

Forum Vauban e.V's concept for a centre supported and managed by the residents of the urban district, "Haus 037" for the social and cultural life in the neighbourhood was discussed publicly, agreed by the municipal council and ultimately implemented.

Project description

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A commercial building in the barracks, built in 1937, was converted into the urban district centre Haus 037. It contains an urban district office, a café with lunch service, and cultural offers, a day nursery, music rehearsal rooms and other rooms. With a restaurant, it houses an important gastronomic unit for the urban district. Apart from offices for initiatives and associations, a public studio, a mothers' centre and a protestant church office and meeting room are provided. Haus 037 now also contains a meditation room, youth rooms, an urban district meeting room for up to 100 people and conference room for up to 80 people.

Vauban is a young urban district. This is why the day nursery and youth work take up lost of room in the building. In future, rooms will also be available to senior citizens. In order to secure a development suitable for many generations, Haus 037 is supported by the Stadtteilzentrum Vauban 037 e.V. association. This association was founded by people from the urban district. As a result, the residents of the urban district are able to introduce their ideas and needs directly. The supporter agreed a leasehold contract with the City of Freiburg in November 2001 with a term of 50 years. The association manages the building and is answerable to the city for ensuring it is used as a socio-cultural centre - open to everyone.

Project chronology

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Jahr	Ereignis
1993	Start of the civilian use of the building with SUSI-Bauküche (Selbstorganisierte, Unabhängige SiedlungsInitiative = Self-organised, Independent Housing Initiative), the Essenstreff für Obdachlose (Homeless Eat and Meet) and the day nursery
2001	Founding of the Stadtteilzentrum Vauban 037 association
2001	Leasehold agreement between the City of Freiburg and the management organisation "Stadtteilzentrum Vauban 037 e.V."
2001-2007	Redevelopment of the building with funds from the "Entwicklungsmaßnahme Vauban" (Vauban Development Measure) and from private lenders; conversion into an urban district centre for the Vauban urban district
2007	Conclusion of the construction work on the development extension
2007	Design of the adjacent open space (Alfred-Döblin-Platz)
2007	Opening celebration

Aims

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• Supporting the neighbourhoods
• Supporting the self-organisation in the urban district
• Strengthening the neighbourhood identity
• Development of cultural networks
• Contributions to health protection

Types of measures

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• Planning and conversion of an existing building into an urban district centre
• Involvement of various user groups
• Development of a mutual basis for operating and using the centre

Innovations

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As a result of consistent citizen participation during the planning process and the conversion, the involvement of the citizens and in the institution and its identity-giving use were enhanced.

The numerous public services in the building and the events organised from here have made Haus 037 a place for meetings and neighbourly contacts for almost all residents in the neighbourhood.

The interesting thing about the model of the management organisation is the self-management and the financial responsibility resulting from the supporting association founded by the group of neighbourhood residents.

The City of Freiburg supported this model by concluded a leasehold agreement. This includes some conditions which transfer the decision-making sovereignty and ownership of the building to the management organisation.

Sources

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• <http://www.haus037.de>
• Interview with Fabian Sprenger, Director of the Urban District Centre Haus 037 on 29.05.2007 in Freiburg

Further information

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• <http://www.vauban.de>
• <http://www.freiburg.de/servlet/PB/menu/1167123_l1/index.html>
• <http://www.stadtteilverein-vauban.de/>
• <http://www.forum-vauban.de> (The internet site merely serves to document the former activities in the Vauban district. It is not updated anymore.)
• <http://www.solarsiedlung.de>

The projekt site ist to be found at postal code: 79100 - town: Freiburg - street: Alfred-Döblin-Platz 1.

Protagonists

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• Stadtteilzentrum Vauban 037 e.V., Fabian Sprenger, Director, E-Mail: <post@haus037.de> , <http://www.haus037.de>, Tel.: ++49 (0)761 – 45687136, Fax: ++49 (0)761 – 45687139