New Perspectives

Borkum (DE) - Special Mention

TEAM DATA

Associate: Alejandro Goebels Muzquiz (DE) – architect
Contributors: Nicolas Jochum (DE), Fabian Bomke (DE), Bianca Belz (DE) – students in architecture

alex.goebels@gmx.de

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TEAM PORTRAIT

VIDEO (by the team)

INTERVIEW
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1. How do you define the main issue of your project in relation with the theme “Living Cities Imagining architecture taking care of the milieus”? And in which way do you think your project can contribute to an ecological and/or social evolution?
In our project, the theme of „Living Cities” is represented through the concept of placing the focus on the people, especially new Islanders, in order to create a living, vibrant Kurviertel with reduced vacancy and new opportunities. In our opinion, understanding the interests of younger people and giving them future perspectives is crucial when it comes to revitalizing quarters like this.

2. How did the issues of your design and the questions raised by the site mutation meet?
Designing for Borkum was a challenge in that the conditions differed greatly from standard urban planning tasks. Both the density and natural circumstances made an approach adapted to the location necessary. Especially the dependence on the mainland, the creation of wind-protected areas and need for water management/adaption to climate change had a great impact on our design choices.

PROJECT:

Innovation Centre & Kulturinsel with plaza as meeting point

Circular economy and autarkic energy/food supply

3. Have you treated these issues previously? What were the reference projects that inspired yours?
While the adaption to climate change is a big topic in nearly all urban planning tasks today, dealing with the struggles of an island regarding its dependence on the mainland and the challenges posed by the small size was new for all of us. Due to the uniqueness of the task, we did not use any reference projects in particular but tried to find solutions on our own.

SITE:

4. How can your project be implemented together with the actors through a negotiated process and in time. How did you consider this issue in your project?
Regarding the implementation of our ideas, we would say that measures like the extension of the nature reserve or the creation of the looproad could be implemented easily. Other ideas, like the Innovation centre would take more time and a more complex planning process. What we would consider the most important is some reconsideration of the current tourism/Islander situation and Borkum’s future perspectives.

5. How did you form the team for the competition and if so what are the skills you associated?
Fabian, Nicolas and Bianca study together and know each other from university. In order to be able to participate in Europan, they formed a team with Alejandro, with whom a joined professor initiated the contact.

6. How could this prize help you in your professional career?
Participating in Europan was a great experience. Being part of such a big competition and getting insights on how competitions like this are organised was very interesting for us students, especially since it was the first competition like this we participated in. As we are at the beginning of our careers, having a special mention from Europan for our CV might be really helpful.

TEAM IDENTITY
Legal status:
Team name:
Average age of the associates: 23 years old

Has your team, together or separately, already conceived or implemented some projects and/or won any competition? if so, which ones?
No.