An urban gardening project is being created on the top parking deck of a park and residential building in Berlin-Schöneberg, in which every neighbour can actively participate in the maintenance of beds and plants. Residents will be directly involved in the co-determination process - from the selection of plants to the design of the garden and the organisation of the area. Vegetables, herbs and flowers are cultivated on an area of around 1,000 m². Interested parties can tend their own beds or take part in communal gardening activities. This space offers room for everyone who enjoys gardening. An experienced garden manager will oversee the project to ensure that the garden functions in the long term. They will coordinate the use of the beds, organise workshops and ensure a lively community.
The former car park deck is divided into a pre-planned and a participatory area. In the pre-planned area, the pergola (green) provides shade and privacy for the residents. The functional block (yellow) integrates functional elements such as storage, building services, kitchen and sanitary facilities (blue). The greenhouse (blue) forms the centrepiece of the project area and serves both as winter quarters for special plants and as a weather-protected space for workshops and events. The participatory area comprises raised beds (yellow), which are designed, built and arranged by the project members themselves in workshops. The fields (green) are pre-planned, but also offer flexible utilisation options. Whether a potato field, play meadow, nursery garden or an educational meadow to promote biodiversity - the project members decide together in workshops which functions their neighbourhood garden should take on.
The project takes a sustainable approach: a photovoltaic system on the residential roof generates electricity that is used by the project. The rainwater from the entire building is channelled into a trench in the courtyard and reused as irrigation water for the garden. When the cistern in the infiltration trench is empty, a well provides the necessary irrigation water. This saves precious drinking water. In total, approx. 5 times more water is channelled into the ground than is taken out for the garden. A greenhouse encourages the communal cultivation of plants and vegetables. However, it is not just a place for gardening, but also a meeting place for local residents to harvest, learn and exchange knowledge - all year round. In particular, the importance of resource conservation, soil care and the circular economy in an urban context is addressed - both for adults and the younger generation.
Berlin-Schöneberg