Research and Practice on the Margins of Regulatory Norms in Post-War Siedlungen of the Rhine-Main Region

Introduction to the Study

We are pleased to share the publication of our article in issue 38 of the scientific journal Astrágalo, dedicated to “Emancipatory Housing”. In “Research and Practice on the Margins of Regulatory Norms in Post-War Siedlungen of the Rhine-Main Region”, we address the challenge of updating and transforming social housing built in Germany after the Second World War, especially in the Rhine-Main region.

 

Rethinking the Post-War Residential Legacy

The article builds on the recent policy of rehabilitating German social housing, focused on constructive and energy improvements, to propose a broader reflection on the inherited space and domestic programme. Although these Siedlungen possess great social, architectural and urban value, many present programmatic obsolescence and limited adaptability to contemporary needs.

Faced with the inertia of normative solutions and standardisation, we defend the importance of small interventions and experimental projects that can initiate emancipatory processes and open up new ways of living. We analyse the case of several neighbourhoods designed by Ernst May’s studio in Mainz, where we tested modular devices and participatory strategies to reprogram domestic and collective spaces.

Actualización de Siedlungen en Rin-Meno
Fig. 3a. 1:10,000 scale map showing the location of the 1950-70 housing estates analysed as a case study, built between 1950-70 on the periphery of Mainz, Germany: 1. Berliner Siedlung; 2. Lerchenberg; 3. Mombach West; 4. Mombach Ost; 5. Neustadt. Fig. 3b. 1:500 scale map of the central area of Berliner Siedlung. M. Pelegrín, F. Pérez. D. Ercin, 2023. Source: Preliminary report of the research project “H&O?”.
Actualización de Siedlungen en Rin-Meno
Fig. 4. Aerial photograph of the Berliner Siedlung housing estate, Mainz, Germany. 1969. Author: Wolfgang Lemp Source: Landeshauptarchiv Koblenz/LU15346

Innovation, Participation and Diversity

Our research proposes integrating not only technical improvements into rehabilitation plans, but also participatory design processes that allow residents to reconfigure their homes and communal spaces according to their actual needs: working from home, caregiving, intergenerational living, etc. The development of modular prototypes and real-scale mock-ups has made it possible to visualise and discuss new possibilities for use and adaptation with residents and administration.

The approach relies on transdisciplinary collaboration between technicians, administration and neighbourhood associations, and seeks to replicate these strategies in other residential complexes in the region, contributing to sustainability, diversity and urban quality of life.

Fig.5. Maqueta del bloque tipo. Berliner Strasse 28-32, Mainz. Estudio de espacialidades con inserción de dispositivos (a modo de prototipo) con distintas funciones integradas. Maqueta: D. Ercin. Foto: Ammenhauser., 2023. Fuente: Informe preliminar del proyecto de investigación “H&O?”.
Fig.7. Isometría de distintas ins - talaciones del dis - positivo en las ti - pologías existentes para posibilitar mayor diversidad del programa doméstico. M. Pelegrín, F. Pérez. D. Ercin, 2023. Fuente: Informe preliminar del proyecto de inves - tigación “H&O?”.
006 fig_9_astragalo_planta daniel y bim render
Fig. 9. Planos con variaciones para la transformación de las tipologías en bloque lineal en el caso a estudio: adapta
Fig. 10. Maqueta a escala 1:1 del dispositivo modular expuesto en sede universitaria durante una de las sesiones de

Final Reflections

The work concludes that, alongside physical consolidation and energy improvement measures, it is both possible and necessary to incorporate spatial and typological interventions that respond to the plurality of current ways of living. These small, yet significant transformations allow for population retention, facilitate the coexistence of diverse groups and provide greater flexibility and resilience to the existing residential stock.

Full Reference:

Pelegrín-Rodríguez, M., & Pérez Blanco, F. (2025). Research and Practice on the Margins of Regulatory Norms in Post-War Siedlungen of the Rhine-Main Region. Astrágalo. Cultura De La Arquitectura Y La Ciudad, 1(38), 239-261. https://doi.org/10.12795/astragalo.2025.i38.10

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