Patrick Henry Village was a U.S. Army installation that first opened in 1947 in Heidelberg, Germany. Before it eventually closed, the village offered its residents housing, schools, dining facilities, a bowling alley, a movie theater, baseball fields, and public services such as a library, a dentist, and a post office. On Sept. 6, 2013, the village closed.
According to Business Insider, since the time of its closure, the former military village has seen use as a temporary shelter for North African and Middle Eastern refugees, but most of the village has remained deserted. It may not be abandoned for long, though, as Carlo Ratti Associati has plans to transform the former U.S. military village into a “progressive commune for the 21st century.”
This commune, aptly called the Patrick Henry Commune, will be centered on multiple practices of sharing, and provide enough living space for about “4,000 like-minded people.” The redesigned village will have a focus on shared, flexible spaces.
New “Co-living Blocks” will emphasize common activity space - think shared kitchens and co-working space - over private residential units. The existing housing blocks will be either refurbished, partially demolished, or connected to each other to create the spaces where this shared living can occur. In total, about 30% to 40% of the commune will be shared spaces.
Private car usage will be discouraged, and personal automobiles will be replaced with a car-sharing service and self-driving shuttles that will connect the commune with the Heidelberg city center. The lack of vehicles will free up the garages located in the village to be used as fabrication labs.
The city of Heidelberg has approved the proposal, Business Insider reports, and the 240-acre site is expected to complete its transformation within the next decade.
Rendering courtesy of Carlo Ratti Associati.
Rendering courtesy of Carlo Ratti Associati.
Rendering courtesy of Carlo Ratti Associati.
Related Stories
Architects | Mar 7, 2018
New National Building Museum exhibit explores the architecture of the Manhattan Project
The exhibit will run through March 3, 2019.
Urban Planning | Feb 26, 2018
A new way to approach community involvement for brownfield projects
A new community engagement program works with young adults to help the future of the neighborhood and get others involved.
Urban Planning | Feb 23, 2018
Paris car ban along the river Seine deemed illegal
Mayor Anne Hidalgo has appealed the decision.
Urban Planning | Feb 21, 2018
Leading communities in the Second Machine Age
What exactly is the Second Machine Age? The name refers to a book by MIT researchers Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee.
Urban Planning | Feb 14, 2018
6 urban design trends to watch in 2018
2017 saw the continuation of the evolution of expectations on the part of consumers, developers, office workers, and cities.
Urban Planning | Feb 12, 2018
Stormwater as an asset on urban campuses
While there is no single silver bullet to reverse the effects of climate change, designers can help to plan ahead for handling more water in our cities by working with private and public land-holders who promote more sustainable design and development.
Urban Planning | Jan 24, 2018
Vision Zero comes to Austin: An outside perspective
Aside from the roads being wider and the lack of infrastructure for bikes and pedestrians, there seemed to be some deeper unpredictability in the movement of people, vehicles, bikes, and buses.
Urban Planning | Jan 10, 2018
Keys to the city: Urban planning and our climate future
Corporate interests large and small are already focused on what the impact of climate change means to their business.
Urban Planning | Jan 2, 2018
The ethics of urbanization
While we focus on designing organized and supportive architecture, much of urbanization is created through informal settlements.
Urban Planning | Dec 5, 2017
A call for urban intensification
Rather than focus on urban “densification" perhaps we should consider urban “intensification.”
