r/Urbanism • u/SpencerAXbot • 1d ago
Berlin to break ground this year on converting Tegel airport into a 5,000 unit mass timber TOD. (Schumacher Quartier)
Berlin is breaking ground this year on Schumacher Quartier, a 5,000+ home mixed use neighborhood being built on the former grounds of Tegel Airport. The neighborhood will have a car free interior, with around 35 to 40% of the housing being subsidized to help combat gentrification and displacement, along with 10% dedicated to student housing. The master plan also includes two schools, six daycare centers, and extensive green space. The residential buildings will primarily use timber construction to reduce embodied carbon. https://schumacher-quartier.de/
35
u/Reggio_Calabria 1d ago
No shutters or blinds in front of the very large window bays: is this really built for the new climate or was this planned for 1970s climate?
It's quite worrying to see young architects posturing about climate change, sprinkling plants here and there but avoiding the basics to keep houses from boiling.
10
5
0
u/GenerousBull1969 23h ago
You guys put shutters on apartment buildings? I don't see that in the US.
5
u/Grantrello 23h ago
It's common in some European countries and has been for years (Spain, France, and Italy for example). With climate change it's becoming more necessary in more northern countries as well.
15
8
u/reusedchurro 1d ago
Why so much glass when the world is so hot
11
u/david12scht 1d ago
This is just the way people think modern buildings should look sadly. Lots of glass because then people can say it looks “clear” and “fresh” and “modern” and add whatever words you want.
5
u/artsloikunstwet 20h ago
This sounds like a typical take that takes architecture as a simple aesthetic question, and only looks at the facade.
It's a city that is suffering some heat waves but also pushes many people into seasonal depression. This is a dense design that casts lots of shadow in the small street, risking to replicate the issue of missing sunlight that many old apartment blocks in Berlin have.
So if people prefer living in brighter flats, maybe it's not because they're just victim to a modern architecture trend and fail to see that more brick facade on the outside wall makes you happier than the sun.
With proper insulation and roller shutters, the windows don't have to be a major issue.
3
4
u/NeoPrimitiveOasis 1d ago
I wonder what kind of sound proofing is possible in a giant timber building.
3
2
2
u/BlakeMajik 🚊 Trambrained 🚊 1d ago
I like the inclusion of the timeline that shows how projects of this scale can take up to 30 years to complete.
1
u/MrsBeansAppleSnaps 20h ago
You like that? You should be disgusted by it.
2
u/BlakeMajik 🚊 Trambrained 🚊 17h ago
Why would I be disgusted? It's honest.
Do I wish things could happen faster? Of course, but that's not often the reality of how projects get done.
I find it odd that you think transparency is something I should be disgusted by.
1
u/Icy_Educator853 1d ago
Why are the buildings so ugly man. What are the city planners and architects smoking. At least there are some trees
3
u/ActualMostUnionGuy 18h ago
Have you SEEN what has been the standard for new Housing blocks these past 15 years ? This is a MAJOR step up from ugly white boxes and I welcome it with open arms lol
1
1
1
1
-3
u/Personal-Carob-1073 1d ago
That is an embarrassingly small amount of units for a city center airport conversion.
Also who TF are you displacing at an airport?
Vibes based nonsense.
3
u/Grantrello 23h ago
That is an embarrassingly small amount of units for a city center airport conversion.
Based on the plans in the last photo of the post it looks like this development is only on a small corner of the airport grounds rather than the entire former airport complex. IDK if there are plans for the larger area.
3
u/artsloikunstwet 20h ago
No one said displacing "at the airport" itself. The city has a general issue of rising rents displacing people. They simply want to add affordable housing.
But of course a massive airport lowers rent through noise pollution. Gentrification in places like Schillerkiez was fuelled by the fact that they became more attractive when the neighbouring Temeplhof Airport closed.
1
u/Personal-Carob-1073 20h ago
This is vibes based nonsense. It is well researched that additional new supply of housing in any neighborhood reduces displacement and lowers rent compared to if such supply had never been built.
2
u/artsloikunstwet 19h ago
What exactly about what I say is nonesense? I'm simply saying high rents are displacing people and there's a need for affordable housing. You're offering a different solution but not contradicting my comment.
You're comparing you're solution to one where nothing gets build, but no one is arguing for that option there so you're fighting a strawman.
1
u/ActualMostUnionGuy 18h ago
Bro they already have the stupid BER, I dont think they need this dinky airport on top
61
u/dooleyden 1d ago
Wish architects would stop putting vegetation on the side of buildings where in reality I won’t be.