1st Prize: Competition Light Industrial Campus LB
The former Mann+Hummel site in Ludwigsburg’s Weststadt district will be transformed over the coming years into a modern campus for light manufacturing, research, and office space. An invited competition was held with four other participants, and BFK’s design was selected as the winner. The proposal provides generous production halls on the ground floor, with office floors and a landscaped intermediate level above.
ProjectLight Industrial Campus LB
LocationLudwigsburg, Weststadt
Statusin Planung
PhotographyBFK architekten
Urban Design
To create a future-oriented campus, the existing buildings in Clusters 1 to 3 will be demolished and replaced by halls with office floors above. The existing sawtooth-roof halls in Cluster 4, which are considered worthy of preservation, will be integrated into the overall campus concept. Their materials and distinctive form are deliberately reflected in the new buildings, giving the entire campus a consistent architectural character.
Bestand
Abbruch
Entwurf
The central idea of the design is to organize the campus vertically on two levels. A plateau positioned centrally above the hall roofs serves as the connecting element between the two worlds below and above. This creates spatial and functional separation without establishing a strict hierarchy.
The plateau not only provides a vertical connection but also serves as a horizontal link. Via the intermediate level, Clusters 1 to 4 and the existing Mann+Hummel buildings to the south are connected to form an interconnected and vibrant campus district. Above the lower hall level, office floors are arranged in a loose configuration and at varying heights. This creates an appropriate scale in relation to the neighboring residential buildings.
Access and Circulation
Delivery vehicles access the interior of the campus and the halls from the north via Groenerstraße, passing between the clusters. The exit is located to the west on Schlieffenstraße. Cars approach the site via Wilhelm-Fein-Straße and enter the parking garage.
This creates a north–south axis for motorized traffic and an elevated east–west axis for public pedestrian movement. Within each cluster, circulation is provided by stairwells distributed throughout the respective buildings, both along the street-facing sides and within the campus. This also enables vertical connections between individual rental units comprising a hall and the office spaces above.
The offices can also be accessed via entrances located on the plateau.
Erschließung Erdgeschoss / Andienung LKW
Erschließung Plateau / Fußgänger
Architecture
On the ground floors of Clusters 1 to 3, halls will be constructed using solid construction methods to meet the requirements of light manufacturing. Their brick façades refer to the industrial history of the site by adopting the material character of the existing buildings and continuing it around the base of the new structures.
At the plaza located at the intersection of Schlieffenstraße and Groenerstraße, the brick façade transitions into the square together with the staircase. This gives the building at the corner of the cluster a prominent setting and creates a representative entrance that establishes the address of the campus.
The upper floors will be constructed in timber. The use of wood is a key element of the campus’s sustainable future. As a renewable resource, timber stores carbon, contributes to a pleasant indoor climate, and has a positive impact on the working environment inside the buildings.
The lightweight timber construction also allows for reduced and resource-efficient material use, particularly the amount of concrete required in the basement levels. In addition to the choice of materials, the flexibility of the hall and office layouts is crucial to the long-term adaptability of the buildings. Depending on the needs of future tenants, rental units of different sizes can be provided.
Open-Space Concept
As part of the redesign, a campus level will be created and divided into three main areas: public spaces, shared spaces, and green courtyards. These areas, which are reached via lively access routes and stairways, will provide a wide range of high-quality open spaces. They will integrate the buildings into their surroundings and offer amenities for all users.
The open spaces will generally be designed and developed according to the retention-roof principle. The multiple use of spaces is a key aspect, as is a balanced coexistence of people and nature. Through the deliberate allocation of space, a wide variety of areas will be created to meet contemporary requirements for urban open spaces.
In the shade of newly planted trees, people will be able to meet and communicate, bringing users and visitors together. The diverse planted areas will provide opportunities for recreation and outdoor activities. They will also function as climate-regulation spaces, supporting cool-air generation and evaporative cooling.
The upgrading and redesign of existing pathway connections at key points will integrate the site into the surrounding urban fabric and create new links to the neighborhood. A new campus square will be established at the center of the site. This space will serve a variety of functions, including circulation, recreation, and events. As the new heart of the development, it will connect the entire campus.
The paving and surface materials throughout the site will be designed and implemented according to their specific use. Barrier-free access and accessible paths and entrances will provide all future users with a high degree of ease and comfort, while welcoming and integrating people from all sections of society.
