Hellerau has always been a romantic notion to me, but I finally was able to see it with a small group of students sponsored by the GI. It was based on an English town planning concept developed around 1910 in this idyllic “Dorf” a mere 15 minute ride along my tram line 8 north of Dresden.

It felt a little bit like Marin or wooded Montclair, but of course, in the German tradition, extremely tidy. Everyone was entitled to a well designed unit, with plenty of open space, gardens for every unit, and community space. The buildings were well built and conceived, as evidenced by its condition today. There is the line connection to the city, but it looked like most people had cars to get back and forth.

The Werkstatt was intended to provide a community for Live-Work, obviously not a new concept. A furniture shop served as one of the mainstays for income. Today, it has been repurposed for artists and designers. Local temporary dance companies work in the community center and musical performances connected with the Dresden Music Festival are held here annually.

Photos, from top, down:

1. The new spin on what Germans coined for Kindergartens. They are, needless to say, well planned stages of life, with a lot of attention and loving care. These are still excellent models to emulate across the world.
2. Sustainability in action. This hasn’t changed from when the development was first built. Time for us to rethink our priorities.
3. The first row housing development on a small scale, taken from the British, with more color
4. The Art Nouveau influence at that time is evident from the graphic lettering used on the Workshop for Furniture.
5. Individuality was allowed on buildings. While most were stucco plaster, this one utilized a log cabin concept with tapered logs, but stacked in smaller lengths in metal channels. This could have been a very efficient way to construct the exterior, and it still looks durable and easy to maintain.

For more information on Hellerau, check out http://www.hellerau.org/english/hellerau/history/the-garden-city/

This isn’t sexy stuff, but I’ve been running around the neighborhood early in the morning and noticing a few things. The back street where I run is aligned with the railway line to the airport, a mere two or three stops away. Dresden is pretty small, so you can get from the center of town to the airport in about 20 minutes by train. My guesthouse is about halfway between stops.

I had noticed a lot of East German-like structures when I first rolled into town a few years back. They were pretty sorry and depressing. Well, they are finally being renovated. Thanks to my friend Hanne and the firm she worked for, they built the street where I run! The government also renovated the staunch old buildings–you can compare the before and after pictures. The buildings stand side by side with each other: one fully re-plastered with new storm windows, doors and foundations repaired, the other waiting for its turn. It’s an interesting historical comparison of two eras.

This industrial area includes new manufacturing and production facilities such as the Bosch pharmatech building adjacent to our guesthouse. The exterior to the guesthouse was renovated at the same time as the other buildings in (4).

Photos, from top:

1. The parking lot for the Industriegelände stop. Germans are good at putting their words into actions. They provide means for water runoff and drainage in parking lots under the car park areas to reduce storm drainage problems. While we are trying in the US, there’s still a lot of lip service and no action. While this solution doesn’t provide full absorption across a large area, at least the runoff is reduced. The roadways still seem to need asphalt, the most economical and durable material.

2. The Industriegelände train station. I didn’t think the noise was acceptable at first until I realized it was the route that I had taken from the airport to the city. It seems to pass every 15-30 minutes along with other night trains. I actually find the whirr comforting now.

3. The “Before” of a delapidated and unoccupied building, waiting for funding and a purpose.

4. The “After” version, ready for another 50 years of use. Buildings have good bones in Germany. In the book “the Orientalist” that I am reading now, the Germans were reknown for building solid cellars in their colonial holdings. This is a good example of the building’s stoutness and longevity.

5. The Bosch Pharmatech facility next to our guesthouse.

6. The Former Russian Military buildings used by the Goethe Institute for students.