Recklinghausen Hillerheide

Recklinghausen, D

Can responsible density and single-family homes be compatible?

Recklinghausen

Racecourse

Foto: Hans Blossey

Energy concept

Open space to the south

Traffic and access

Stationary traffic and mobility hubs

Urban use

Urban planning network

1. Prepared for climate change: A lake that provides cooling in the summer through evaporation and serves as a heat source in the winter, both through direct use of the water and via collector fields on the lakebed. The lake is mainly fed by rainwater from around the district. It also offers a large retention volume in case of heavy rainfall.

2. From the low-energy home to an energy-neutral district: The combination of different energy sources – in particular photovoltaic energy on the rooftops, geothermal energy in and beneath the lake, as well as thermal solar energy on the sound-proof wall along the motorway – creates an energy neutral district, thanks to smart grids, district-level management and the seasonal activation of the geothermal fields.

3. Everyday life is on foot: All important services are available in the district: in addition to housing, there is also education, commercial activities and retail. The hilly landscape to the south of the district, with playgrounds and sports fields, also offers recreational opportunities within walking distance. This creates a neighbourhood of short distances.

4. Creating a diverse and familiar neighbourhood: A differentiated mix of apartment buildings, townhouses and single-family homes is being built on the lakefront housing sites. Parking for cars will mainly be created in two neighbourhood garages on Biltzkuhlenstrasse, so that space is created for the community in the large inner area of the construction site.

5. Connected in Hillerheide: The existing neighbourhoods in the area will be connected to the lake in a north-south direction thanks to a new main bicycle route. A sequence of special spaces is created which starts at Gertrudisplatz in Alt-Hillerheide and runs in an east-west direction over the lake via a landscape of decking, ending in the eastern landscape.

A former horse-racing track becomes the heart of a new neighbourhood

As an ecological and technical structure, this artificial lake will fulfil many roles: providing a unique quality of life, it is intended for recreation and leisure. In addition, it will provide cooling in the summer, while in the winter the water from the lake will be used as a heat source. In addition, it will offer a large retention volume for heavy rainfall. The lake will be bordered by a tree-lined public promenade. Around its edges, a varied mix of living, working and retail will flourish. In addition, a new school site will be built to the north of the district, as well as a recreational landscape to the south.

Recklinghausen Hillerheide

The city of Recklinghausen, in the north of the Ruhr area, is gaining a new regional attraction: the Hillerheide district, a new focal point. In the coming years, a vibrant new city district will be created on the site of the former horse-racing track. The contours of the racecourse will still be recognizable in the future, in the form of a new lake. As an ecological and technical structure, this artificial lake will fulfil many roles: providing a unique quality of life, it is intended for recreation and leisure. In addition, it will provide cooling in the summer, while in the winter the water from the lake will be used as a heat source. In addition, it will offer a large retention volume for heavy rainfall. The lake will be bordered by a tree-lined public promenade. Around its edges, a varied mix of living, working and retail will flourish. In addition, a new school site will be built to the north of the district, as well as a recreational landscape to the south. The buildings, open space and access complement each other in an integrated manner. The rooftop surfaces collect the rainwater that flows into the lake. The rainwater is purified by reed beds integrated into the lake, which you can experience thanks to a public jetty landscape. The lake excavation soil is being modelled into a soundproofing wall along the A2, with large thermal solar panels on the southern flank. These will be combined with photovoltaic energy on the rooftops, geothermal energy in the lakebed, and the active use of lake water to create a smart energy concept. The lake water and the geothermal energy integrated into the lakebed act as seasonal storage. The extraction of heat also significantly improves the water quality.