For years, the area surrounding Herdecke's western railway station was overlooked as unsuitable for residential development. Until 2015, the station sat isolated in an abandoned industrial zone, bordered by an overgrown former quarry on the city's outskirts. The Herdecker Gemeinnützige Wohnungsgesellschaft (HGWG) recognized the potential and catalyzed the transformation of this 6,300 m² site into an innovative residential community. Working across three construction phases from 2016 to 2020, architects from the Dortmund-based post welters + partner firm created a vibrant, fully accessible residential quarter designed for communal living—one that accommodates diverse lifestyles and generations.

The initial two phases delivered 55 apartments and maisonettes—some subsidized, others market-rate—distributed across two residential buildings. Ranging from 52 to 112 m², each unit features generously proportioned balconies and roof terraces, with flexible interior layouts that adapt to different living circumstances. A third phase added ten townhouses, with two units per building, completing the neighborhood. The development has transformed Herdecke's station into a true urban hub. The exposed quarry wall now forms a striking backdrop to the new quarry park, while the buildings are strategically positioned to frame views from the street through to the quarry. From the apartments themselves, residents enjoy vistas toward the quarry, the Rehberg hills beyond, and across the Ruhr valley. Early tenant involvement in the planning process proved essential—through facilitated workshops, residents helped shape living spaces, communal areas, and shared outdoor spaces. The buildings are universally accessible via open stairwells, glass elevators, and galleried circulation systems. These galleries function as a second outdoor space for each apartment, ideal for plants or outdoor relaxation. More importantly, they naturally encourage neighborly interaction at the threshold—the foundation of community life. The galleries connect to the quarry park through shared green spaces. At ground level along Walter-Freitag-Straße, a communal floor houses multipurpose rooms, workshops, mailrooms, parcel lockers, tenant storage, laundry facilities, and parking for cars and bicycles. These shared amenities are deliberately positioned along pathways everyone uses, creating informal gathering points where neighbors connect and community flourishes.

All buildings feature green roofs and meet KfW energy efficiency standards. High-performance insulation, solar thermal systems, controlled ventilation, and selective deployment of heat pumps and photovoltaic arrays further optimize the buildings' environmental performance.

www.post-welters.de

Photography Credits:

Cornelia Suhan
www.suhan-fotografie.com

(Featured in CUBE Ruhrgebiet 04|20)