Lauffenmühle – Next Innovation, Lörrach

The Urban Fabric Lörrach project reimagines the future of industrial zones as vibrant, mixed-use areas rooted in sustainability, flexibility, and connectivity. Located between Brombach and the center of Lörrach, the masterplan opens a formerly inaccessible site and integrates it into the urban fabric, reinforcing spatial cohesion and local identity.

Drawing from the site’s textile heritage, the concept of “weaving” serves as a guiding metaphor, blending production and service industries with ecological strategies, climate resilience, and community-building. A fine-grained network emerges, adaptable to future needs and rooted in the principles of biodiversity, sustainable construction, and water-sensitive design.

The development is anchored by three spatial principles: the Climate Forest, the Climate Axis, and the Climate Fan. These shape the site’s parcels and public space structure, balancing green infrastructure with human-centered design.

Existing buildings are preserved and paired with a modular timber construction system based on an 8 x 2.7 meter grid. These prefabricated units offer high adaptability, functioning independently or embedded into existing structures, creating a responsive urban fabric that evolves with time.

Urban Fabric Lörrach is a flagship example of climate-conscious regeneration. The project merges industrial heritage and future-oriented modular construction, introducing nature-based strategies to support urban transformation. Its strength lies in its systemic thinking: flexible, scalable, and deeply rooted in place. Designed with an emphasis on biodiversity, circularity, and socio-economic cohesion, it sets the tone for the future of industrial redevelopment.