Sabrina Pick

Urban Form - Architectural Culture

Wohnen F // 9, Cologne

As cities continue to grow and infrastructure becomes increasingly dense, architects and planners face the challenge of developing urban spaces without large increases in land use or escalating social tensions. Urban infill has emerged as a key principle, but only when it succeeds both functionally and architecturally. In Cologne’s Südstadt district, the Wohnen F // 9 project by Aretz Dürr Architektur BDA offers a convincing example of how modular timber construction and hot dip galvanized steel can create a thoughtful and refined approach to densification.

Fitting into a 25 m wide strip of land , 32 prefabricated timber modules were assembled in just ten days. Built on pile-supported strip foundations, with no conventional concrete slab, the building navigates the surrounding context with ease. It provides seven individually crafted apartments and completes the street façade with calm clarity. For its quiet precision and well-judged urban integration, the project received a commendation in the recent German Galvanizing awards competition.

Material Strategy as Architectural Statement

Beyond the intelligent use of modular timber, it is the project’s approach to materials that sets it apart. A steel and timber frame defines the exterior, creating a pergola that provides effective solar shading while serving as a transition between indoor and outdoor spaces.

Galvanized steel components including columns, beams and balustrades, blend seamlessly into the façade and reveal the expressive potential of galvanizing. The result is a material language that is durable, understated and atmospherically consistent.

Inside, visible cross-laminated timber panels underscore the project’s commitment to honesty and constructional clarity. There are no synthetic insulation systems or decorative coatings, just clean material transitions and open structure. This approach is reinforced by extensive green roofs and an integrated photovoltaic system, making the project a prototype for environmentally responsible urban infill.

A Model for Compact Living

A Model for Compact Living

Wohnen F // 9 exemplifies what sustainable, urban living can become when design is both disciplined and deliberate. It is modular in construction, careful in material use and precise in its form. Galvanized steel plays a central role in this success. It connects structural performance with a clear architectural message.

 

In a dense and evolving city like Cologne, this project shows that sustainability and beauty can go hand in hand. When materials are chosen with purpose, and construction is handled with care, architecture can enrich the city while respecting its limits.

Project gallery
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