Office for Living Architecture

The former slaughterhouse site in Pforzheim is being redeveloped into a mixed-use, vibrant urban neighborhood featuring cooperative housing, commercial spaces, art, and culture. The open space plays a central role as a place for gathering, community engagement, and urban diversity.

The concept builds on the site’s existing qualities—its open layout, sturdy structures, and naturally grown vegetation. Rather than a fully designed park, the result is a series of distinct spaces featuring flexible furnishings and “wild” yet carefully curated greenery, which allows for a variety of uses and encourages active participation.

A series of terraced spaces leads from the public neighborhood square into the site and structures the transition to semi-public and private areas. Activity zones, quiet gathering spots, play areas, and communal gardens form a finely tuned spatial fabric. Green architecture featuring tall trees, green facades, and botanical elements characterizes the neighborhood, as does a blue-green infrastructure that uses rainwater and graywater for irrigation and cooling.

The development is designed to be process-oriented and flexible: the size and location of commercial and studio spaces, as well as the approach to existing buildings, remain adaptable. This creates a versatile neighborhood capable of accommodating a variety of uses and changes over the long term.