Design Studio: The Ahrtal Studio

Fall Semester 2021

Free the River

by Vanessa Peresi, Maryam Rasheed, Mahdi Panjehpour, Melsida Babayan, Mohammed Zanboa, Siranuysh Martirosyan

Tutors: César Reyes Nájera, Florian Hertweck, and Markus Miessen

River bed evolution and historical flooding areas in comparison with urban fabric.

Through 200 years of historical spatial analysis of the riverbed, this group of students traced the evolution of the progressive narrowing of the river space due to increasing urbanisation and how recurrent flooding revealed that the river is a living entity that simply needs its space to flow and flood freely. This was the starting point to define the area of intervention, relocation, and a “rewilding” of riparian corridors with temporary public programs next to the river that allow flooding.

Flooding level 2012.

Digital 3D model of Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler map 1803-1820.

Digital 3D model of historical flooding areas in comparison with urban fabric.