Elizabeth Street Garden – Studio
Project information
submitted by
Verena von Beckerath
Co-Authors
Participants B.Sc. Architecture: William Barrett, Djamila Fajzulin, Bruno Genilke, Annika Harthun, Tim Knesebeck, Henk Kunst, Lukas Lux, Ken Nikaido, Lilly Rudolph, Florian Schmidt, Maja Schönherr, Annika Wunder, Johann Weber, Luzie Bücking, Clara Ritter, Marlene Sewtz; Participants M.Sc. Architecture: York Beese, Jonas Beulich, Tom Deichsel, Hannah Deimel, Luise Fieger, Jannica Grosch, Fenja Kendler, Linus Kohn, Henri Krappitz, Jakub Labedz, Sophia Riegel, Louisa Schaaf, Laurin Schölzel, Julius Schulze, Rebecca Voigt, Carlotta Lüdecke
Mentors
Verena von Beckerath, Avital Greenshpon, Felix Iburg; Guest contributions: Gisela Baurmann, Tim Heide, Till Hoffmann, Brad Isnard, Mona Mahall, Owen Nichols, Charlotte Pfrommer, Fabian Puller, Daniel Jonas Roche, Kyle Thurman, Jasper Townsend
Faculty:
Architecture and Urbanism
Degree programme:
Architecture (Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.)),
Architecture (Master of Science (M.Sc.))
Type of project presentation
Exhibition
Semester
Summer semester 2026
- Geschwister-Scholl-Straße 8 - Hauptgebäude / Main Building
(1. Obergeschoss, Raum 110)
Available during summaery's regular opening hours
Project description
The design studio focused on the Elizabeth Street Garden in the NoLIta neighborhood of Manhattan, New York. The community garden, located on a vacant lot, has existed since the 1990s; it is owned by the city government and is managed and maintained by a nonprofit organization and its members. For several years now, the site has also been the subject of discussions regarding affordable housing in New York City. The efforts to preserve the Elizabeth Street Garden—in which local artists and activists, in particular, are involved—are about more than just this one special place. The conflict reflects a citywide dichotomy between urban development and affordability on the one hand, and residents’ need for community, culture, and nature on the other. The aim of the studio was to reflect on the dichotomy described, to develop an independent approach to the further development of the Elizabeth Street Garden, and to translate this approach into architecture. The projects could address the preservation and maintenance of the garden, the design of complementary infrastructure, as well as the (partial) development of the site with apartments and associated spaces. Ideally, the goal was to combine the qualities of the community garden with socially responsible and collectively organized residential architecture.