VEEDL

A Vibrant Urban Neighborhood for the Future

Location

Cologne
Project

Development of a New Mixed-Use Neighborhood
Procedure

Design Workshop Process Followed by a Design Competition (1st Prize)
Client

VEEDL Brühler Straße GmbH & Co. KG (WVM Gruppe, Metropol Immobiliengruppe, CP 90 GmbH)
Architect of record

Caspar Schmitz-Morkramer
Visualizations

Paul Trakies
Site Area

19,100 m²
GFA (AG/BG)

35,515 m²/8,439 m²

Located along Brühler Strasse in Cologne, VEEDL is envisioned as a vibrant, mixed-use, and identity-defining urban neighborhood that places people at its center. The design is anchored by the “VEEDL Heart” — a central public square that shapes both the spatial and social identity of the district. From this focal point, open spaces, pedestrian connections, and diverse uses unfold into a clearly structured yet open urban framework. VEEDL serves as a real-world laboratory for the city of the future, demonstrating how living, working, retail, services, and community life can come together to form a resilient and highly livable neighborhood.

A City of Short Distances

The masterplan consistently follows the principle of the “city of short distances.” Living and working are directly connected through the Market Lane and Workshop Lane, while public squares, neighborhood courtyards, and shared amenities foster social interaction and community life. Three distinctive neighborhood gateways create a strong sense of arrival and connect VEEDL seamlessly to its surroundings. A carefully graduated sequence of public, semi-public, and private spaces enhances orientation, comfort, and a strong sense of belonging.

Community Through Mixed Uses and Open Space

Diversity is at the core of VEEDL. Residential, commercial, social, retail, hospitality, and community-oriented uses complement one another to create an active and lively neighborhood throughout the day. Generous landscaping, activated ground-floor frontages, and high-quality public spaces encourage interaction and exchange. The existing green corridor is preserved and further developed into a connected open-space network that combines ecological performance with a high quality of stay, embedding the neighborhood sustainably within the broader urban landscape.

Future-Ready and Climate-Resilient

VEEDL combines compact, high-quality urban density with generous open spaces and a strong commitment to sustainability. Ventilation corridors, shading strategies, extensive planting, and an integrated blue-green infrastructure contribute to the neighborhood’s climate resilience. Stormwater retention, infiltration, and reuse are incorporated as integral components of the landscape design. At the same time, modular building typologies, circular construction materials, and flexible structural grids ensure long-term adaptability. The result is a neighborhood that balances economic, environmental, and social objectives while making a lasting contribution to the sustainable urban development of tomorrow.

caspar.team

Architect of record

Caspar Schmitz-Morkramer

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Workshop Team

Francisco Javier Vaz Cano
Marie-Elén Wehder

Competition Team

Erik Nohr

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Annika Sophie Kotzan
Katharina Kromm
Clara Wilkes
Corinna Masi
Michel Schütten