Open space design for city of Korntal-Münchingen

Landscaping is actually the finishing touch of a building project. In Korntal - Münchingen the construction site started with the preservation of the existing vegetation. In a large housing site like this is important to establish appropriate parking areas ahead of time and also define areas where heavy equipment won't be used. After that the open space is shaped and first infrastructures like roads, public spaces and blue or green infrastructures are build.

Water conservation is a big issue here. The harvest of rainwater in many natural cisterns is a key component of the project. What is new here is the technology that connects the saved water to an ecosystem. In addition to water, vegetation needs the right soil conditions to prosper and near the railroad it finds plenty of opportunity to unfold. Soils are often poor and compacted, to the extent that it has to be freed of construction debris. With the add of topsoil and amend with organic material the soil allows plants to be more tolerant and forgiving in less than perfect growing conditions.

At a construction site, waste isn’t waste until it’s wasted. "Recycling” is the key word here. Heavy clay soils can be used as amendment and aggregate for concrete, among other applications. Waste to resource is also becoming a trend, which is a better and less expensive alternative than trucking away material. Working with the building architects, engineers, builders and owner is where decisions are made early on to store and re-use topsoil but also to use native plants that are easy to maintain. Scheduling during construction is critical and can reduce the number of needless trips to the building site.