Project Name:

LEHM - BAU - KULTUR: Establishment of a regional clay building education center as a "third place" in Halle

Project details:

Project Partners:

1. Schwemme e.V.

2. Center for social studies Halle e.V.

Project Type:

Conversion/energetic refurbishment/renovation

Size of property: 1.271 qm

Project Duration: 2025 – 2027

Contact:

An der Schwemme 1

06108

Halle (Saale)

e-mail: post@schwemme.org

Project Description

Schwemme e.V., with its support association and currently 35 members, has been a non-profit organization dedicated to the acquisition, preservation and use of the architectural and cultural monument since 2015. The civic commitment is drawn from a wide range of professional groups and social milieus. In April 2016, the association acquired the industrial monument and took over the implementation of the “Schwemme – creativity by the river” activation concept commissioned by the city. With the support of the German Federal Cultural Foundation, the cultural revival took place in 2017 under the title “Signs of Life”. The experience gained from various (cultural) projects was incorporated into a sustainable development concept. The structural protection of the monument was completed in 2023, financed by almost 1 million euros in urban development funding and private donations of over 200,000 € as well as a great deal of personal contribution from the association's members.

In continuation of the development goals, the project partners plan to create a clay building competence center in parts of the building complex under the guiding principles of LEARNING-CREATING-MEETING. This is where sustainability, beauty and community come together. This center is intended to bundle the many possible uses of clay and other natural materials in closed cycles and promote practical teaching through theoretical and practical workshops for people of different ages and backgrounds.

Project Goals

The NEB values and principles are put directly into practice: the focus on sustainable construction methods and community building, innovative educational formats and artistic exploration aim to achieve the following goals:

practicing (re)building culture: Renovation and conversion according to the reduce-reuse-recycle principles and with a focus on clay applications, that can be experienced in a variety of ways applied to parts of the industrial heritage;
Teaching clay building techniques: Provide hands-on training in historic and modern clay building techniques and explore new uses for the material;
Center of competence for sustainable building: Establishment of a centre that promotes sustainable building with clay and natural materials in closed cycles;
Regional educational center: conceptualization as a broadly networked specialist and clay educational center;
Artistic exploration: promotion of creative and artistic projects with clay and natural materials;
Youth work and educational orientation: a thematic place for children, young people and career orientation;
Low-threshold access: Playful approaches to make materials and technology easy to understand;
Multimedia knowledge transfer: Creation of spaces and platforms for analog and digital educational offers;
Third place for community: Creation of a “third place” as a meeting place between home and workplace with meeting and cultural offers;
Innovative, prototypical methodology: Integration of innovative, prototypical methods with high transferability.

Project impressions

Criteria according to the NEB_Compass

Beautiful

Ambition III: integrating

The conversion of parts of the Schwemme into a clay building competence center and a third location, aims to demonstrate how historic buildings can be made fit for the future with tailor-made uses. The project wants to have a positive impact on the lives of the participants and their sensory perception. New forms of community will play an increasingly important role in society, therefore parts of the scientific monitoring and various surveys are used to identify and discuss impulses for a community-oriented further development of the activities and offers of the Schwemme. With a diverse usage structure, the project appeals to various age groups and aimes at newcomers, those who have stayed and returnees, who make up an increasingly large proportion of the population in central Germany. As a “glue factor”, it aims to retain students in Halle who might otherwise move on to other cities by offering an attractive educational, cultural and community location. This has a positive effect on the long-term retention of skilled workers. In combining the capabilities of Schwemme e.V. and the Center of Social Studdies Halle e.V. efforts are to be professionalized and made future-proof.

Sustainable

Ambition III: regenerating

In the midst of the challenges in the potential flood area, the project actively committs to the removal of sealed surfaces on the site and efficient flood protection. As a property owner, Schwemme e.V. takes responsibility for protecting the watercourses and banks of the Schwemmsaale/ Mühlgraben (e.g. by regularly cleaning the riverbed). However, the contribution also extends beyond environmental, nature, landscape and water protection, whereby strengthening climate resilience. The creation of a clay building competence center is central: it will provide information and technologies on the refurbishment of existing buildings, innovative timber and clay construction, high-performance insulation materials on a natural basis and carbon dioxide-free energy systems. This is done in cooperation with experts from science, industry and the trades, and it serves as a hub for decentralized networks. In particular, the clay building competence center strengthens the promotion of innovative trades among young people in the region. As part of the WIR! alliance GOLEHM, Schwemme e.V. is committed to the reactivation and further development of traditional clay building on a societal level. Its focus on climate-neutral construction permeates the entire project, both in terms of on-site implementation and knowledge transfer. The scientific support analyzes the knowledge about sustainable building materials in the population through surveys, such as the Halle resident survey, at trade fairs such as SaaleBAU or at general events of the Schwemme. In addition, the analysis of the knowledge-acquisition-supporting effects of places of encounter beyond living and working on the reception of the specialist topic of clay building provides suggestions and instructions for action. In this way, framework conditions for sustainable changes in behavior are examined and initiated, that address sustainability in relation to the ambition to regenerate.

Together

Ambition III: transform

In a time characterized by social isolation, community is becoming increasingly important. The concept of community building, especially outside of traditional family structures, is becoming essential. The Schwemme as a third place functions not only as a physical space, but as a social and cultural place based on principles of sustainability, community and inclusion. This adaptation reflects the growing need for social ties in our society. The Schwemme responds proactively to the increasing importance of community and addresses the challenges of social isolation. A crucial component of this change is the establishment of a sustainable responsibility and funding structure. Overall, the Schwemme is becoming a place of sustainable responsibility that meets the changing demands of society. It is not only a space for cultural and social activities, but also a place where the idea of a community based on solidarity is actively lived and further developed. The scientific monitoring supports the Schwemme e.V. association on its way to this goal by developing a common vision, which is translated into overall objectives and sub-objectives and used throughout the process as a kind of “guideline” for the further development of the association. The achievement of the sub-goals is regularly critically reflected upon.

Participatory process

Ambition III: to self-govern

The project enables the strengthening and support of grassroots initiatives beyond project implementation in a variety of ways: On the one hand, Schwemme supports the capacity building of initiatives oriented towards the common good by providing temporary spaces for training, workshops and resources on a low-threshold basis. In addition, it promotes the development of networks and partnerships between initiatives and other relevant actors such as local administration, NGOs, companies and civil society. The Schwemme is a place where different people can meet without being forced to consume and where learning from and with each other is the central focus. This allows other grassroots initiatives to access resources, expertise and support that extend beyond the duration of the project. The project also supports the development of a sustainable infrastructure that other projects can also use in the long term. As part of the scientific monitoring, the existing structures of decision-making and topic prioritization are reviewed for their intended and unintended effects and, if necessary, new approaches, such as the democracy café or the method of systemic consensus, are tested and developed. The stakeholders are actively involved in the planning, decision-making and implementation process of the project so that they are also able to continue to bear legal responsibility. This already lies with the non-profit association, which is to be transformed into a gGmbH in the future and act as the sponsor of the property, and the associated support association. Once the initial investment has been funded, the Schwemme should be able to operate as a self-sustaining project with its various offers and formats and finance the staff positions created independently. The structures to be established as part of the project are to be consolidated permanently.

Multiple levels of engagement

Ambition III: to work globally

The project aims to achieve a global, transformative impact. It is about a far-reaching building revolution and raising awareness of natural building materials and their use. This is a globally important issue, which is why information and education (especially education and sustainable development - ESD) on sustainable and climate-neutral practices is important right now. This is achieved through our involvement in networks that pursue similar goals and have the future of the entire (building) ecosystem in mind. In doing so, local effects are considered first and then related to the entire ecosystem. Various measures are taken to achieve this goal: Schwemme mainly works locally, but invites (inter)national speakers* and participants to the Clay Building Competence Center. Also, a wide range of public relations activities (e.g. blog, podcast, social media) will disseminate the content, that will be develop. In this way, attention is drawn to the need to deal with the topic of the sustainable building transition and to work together for a more climate-friendly future. The scientific monitoring supports these activities by analyzing changes in the perception of natural building materials in the region and by providing impulses for the reception of a sustainable building turnaround in society. This is ensured by continuously processing current research on the perception and implementation of the sustainable building transition.

Transdisciplinary approach

Ambition III: to be beyond-disciplinary

Cooperation with non-formal knowledge partners is prioritized within the project. In view of the fact that a great deal of knowledge about clay building and the associated building culture has been lost, it relies in particular on people, organizations or groups that have practical experience, specialist knowledge or cultural insights, but do not necessarily have formal academic training or qualifications in the relevant field. This is taken into account when selecting workshop hosts as well as the speakers for (specialist) impulses, which will not be linked to certified qualifications. These partners can be, for example, representatives of civil society, local communities, traditional craftspeople, artists, activists or other informal groups who have specific knowledge and experience that is relevant to the project.

So funktioniert der
NEB-Kompass (PDF)

LEHM - BAU - KULTUR: Establishment of a regional clay building education center as a "third place" in Halle

Project Description

Project Goals

Project impressions

Criteria according to the NEB_Compass

Durchführung

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