Re-Working Mass Housing

The Post-War Modernist Housing Research Lab deals with housing estates built between 1945 and 1975 as a significant cultural, social, economic, architectural, and urban resource. It aims at developing and promoting comprehensive strategies for their future development and preservation. At present it is particularly urgent to gain a better understanding of those structures, as their owners are often seeking to modify and densify them.

Research

20th docomomo conference

ARCHITECTURE OF MODERNITY: POLITICS-SOCIETY-HOUSING

The annual conference of docomomo Deutschland e.V. will take place in 2023 in Frankfurt a.M. in cooperation with the Ernst-May-Gesellschaft, the Deutsches Architekturmuseum DAM and the city of Frankfurt. With Frankfurt's Paulskirche, a special conference venue will be available again this time.

Register now >>>

Wilderness Hauptwache

NEW PUBLICATION
Would you like to get to know the Hauptwache from its animal side? Then pick up the "Mit-Bestimmungbuch Hauptwache". In a handy pocket format, you can look up all the animals and plants identified and documented as part of the "Wildnis Hauptwache" project.
book Hauptwache as PDF

Exhibition WASTELAND

Opening: 21. January 2023 / 17:30 Uhr
Tassilo Sittmann House
Nordweststadt

Whether shelves, tables, lamps or mattresses: Every year, around 2.5 million tons of bulky waste are generated in Germany. "Garbage" that would not always necessarily have to be disposed of immediately, because the disposed items are often reusable or a valuable material resource. In order to take a closer look at this aspect and at the same time integrate the residents of the Nordweststadt into the process, students of social work and architecture organized a construction workshop in Nordweststadt. Together they sawed, hammered and sewed and turned our consumer behavior upside down. The resulting projects, new furniture, musical instruments, a tea pavilion and much more will be on display at the WASTELAND exhibition from January 21, 2023 - January 26, 2023.

The booklet about the porject (PDF)

GFB Future Award for "Living well in large settlements".


Awarded! The research project "Living well in large settlements" of the Postwar Modernism Research Laboratory was awarded the GFB Future Prize.

The researchers' central question was: How can affordable housing be preserved in the neighborhoods of post-war modernism and how could they be made more livable at the same time. Starting in March 2023, the project will enter the next phase, jointly in close exchange between teaching and research.

Activities and projects

2018 - 2021

Research Laboratory Building Culture and Settlement Construction of Post-War Modernism
Softcover, 70 pages, German

>>> PDF Download

About the Post-War Modernism Resarch Lab:

Research focus

Up until today the post-war stock is of major significance. In growing metropolitan areas such as the Frankfurt-Rhein-Main region, it offers urgently needed, highquality, affordable housing in relatively central locations. Its generously landscaped outdoor spaces as well as the functional layout of apartments is highly valued by the residents. Nonetheless, much of this stock has to be adapted to today‘s standards and requirements, such as energy efficiency, accessibility, infrastructure, and amenities.

Aim of the Research Lab

The Post-War Modernist Housing Reseach Lab aspires to be the first contact point in the Frankfurt-Rhein-Main region for anyone concerned with post-war housing and urbanism in practice and research, no matter whether being a member of the public administration, a housing association, or an ordinary citizen. It collaborates with international research experts on postwar housing in order to learn from experiences made in other countries and involves international students from Frankfurt UAS in its research approaches.

Linking research and teaching
Interdisciplinary
The Research Lab works interdisciplinary within the architectural sciences. The common framework is the focus on settlements and buildings created in the period between 1945 and 1975.

Regional
The Research Lab has a strong regional focus to build bridges between research and practice and to initiate networks based on face-to-face exchange with other actors.

Integrative
The Research Lab combines research and teaching. In addition to synergies with teaching in the faculty of architecture, knowledge exchange with other faculties is also encouraged.

Networking
The Research Lab is open to nationwide and international collaborations that are close to the general profile of Post-War Modernism.

Public
The Research Lab aims to communicate the architectural cultural significance of Post-War modernist housing to a broad public and to raise awareness of this era.

Areas of activity
| Research
| Scientific supervision of dissertations
| Consulting for inventory holders
| workshops
| conferences
| Publications
| Events and guided tours for the interested public

Website editorial teamID: 5473
last updated on: 09.28.2023