Master's Thesis AR · Summer Semester 2019 · Ferdinand Schachinger

Ongoing structural change in rural areas is a major driver of profound transformation and renewal in spatial planning. Municipalities increasingly face the challenge of developing appropriate planning tools to limit land consumption at the urban fringe while strengthening the attractiveness of their village centres.

The thesis accompanies the municipality of Hüttwilen in the Frauenfeld region throughout this process and develops an integrated urban design concept within the framework of an “extended design laboratory”. It explores how typologically differentiated strategies for place-based settlement development can be derived from a thorough analysis of the village's spatial structure. The study argues that inward development should not be understood as densification at any cost, but rather as a return to the organic growth of the settlement structure and its spatial relationships. The interpretation of the village as a network of spaces—rather than a collection of individual buildings—forms the foundation of the proposed design methodology.

The urban design concept aims to strengthen and further develop the spatial relationships identified in the analysis. The proposed new buildings are understood as functional building blocks that contribute to the definition and enhancement of public space. According to their role, they are assigned to three typological categories, each corresponding to a distinct development strategy.

The strategy of “silent densification” carefully continues existing settlement structures through the precise placement of new buildings within high-quality spatial contexts. The strategy of “context-sensitive completion” enhances incomplete spatial situations by introducing targeted additions or strengthening existing spatial edges. Finally, the “ensemble” strategy enables clearly defined spatial extensions where these can be implemented in a controlled, land-efficient, and architecturally coherent manner. The design proposal for the new municipal centre of Hüttwilen demonstrates the application of this strategy.

The thesis demonstrates the applicability of all three densification strategies throughout the municipality of Hüttwilen. Derived from the specific spatial context and applied according to local conditions, they form a comprehensive toolkit for high-quality inward development. As each strategy requires a different level of planning and implementation, the thesis also opens up new perspectives for a differentiated and context-specific approach to local land-use planning.