At the Santa Maria Farmhouse in Southern Tuscany, I offer nature and art focused Day-Workshop Retreats. Experience the quiet rhythm of Tuscany through gardening and creative exploration in a farmhouse setting.

Retreats 2026 to be announced soon

Kristien Ring was a UWA Institute of Advanced Studies Visiting Fellow and delivered the Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Visual Arts Annual Dean’s Lecture. (2016)

The exhibition ‚Self Made City‘ was shown at the Cullity Gallery, the UWA Nedlands Campus in Perth.
EVENTS and LINK

Many public and expert workshops were held on the topic of co-housing.

Kristien Ring AA PROJECTS (ed.) in cooperation with the Senate Department for Urban Development and the Environment, Berlin ENGLISH/GERMAN 256 Pages, 2015, Jovis, ISBN 978-3-86859-331-0.

Cities such as Berlin are faced with new architectural and urban planning challenges, not only on account of their constant growth, but also because of changing ways of life. Urban Living seeks to discuss future forms of urban living and to consider their design and social influences. How can residential building strengthen urban structures and provide new opportunities through densification? How can monostructures be broken up and open spaces be upgraded? And how can architecture meet the requirements of new forms of cohabitation, either owing to a broader social mix or to the combination of living and working? This book presents convincing concepts which show that affordable residential space can also have a high structural quality. Exemplary designs and solutions from the international Urban Living Workshop, which more than thirty international architecture offices took part in, provide excellent examples of the potential qualities of future residential construction.

Berlin is thought of as the city of Urban Pioniers, a place where everything is possible and where space can be taken over and transformed in self-initiative. Voids and unused spaces are occupied, old buildings engaged with new program. The self-determined design of space, building, living and working, be it in the form of builder collectives or co-housing, co-op’s, co-working spaces, or other project forms, has produced an architectural diversity and quality in Berlin between 2000 – 2013 that is exemplary. SELFMADE CITY presents the evolving condition in Berlin, including a survey of over 120 projects, an analysis of the qualities and potentials of these projects as well as 50 best-practice case studies. Which contributions are being made in private initiative for the development of the city and what can be achieved in the future? Which methods and strategies are generating added value? Kristien Ring, AA PROJECTS und Senatsverwaltung für Stadtentwicklung und Umwelt, Berlin (eds.) Softcover with flaps, 21 x 27 cm, 224 pages with num. col. JovisVerlag ISBN 978-3-86859-167-5 2013

SELFMADE CITY_download

Background:

SELFMADE CITY is an initiative of the curator Kristien Ring (AA Projects). SMC is based on the exhibition and publication project „auf.einander.bauen –BAUGRUPPEN IN DER STADT“ (Builder Collectives in the City) that Kristien Ring presented at the German Center for Architecture DAZ in 2007.

The focus of SELFMADE CITY is not only builder collectives and self-initiated living projects, but includs projects that have helped to define the spirit of the city by transforming the berliner city-scape. For Example: the Prinzessinengärtenin in Kreuzberg or the ExRotaprint-Area in Wedding.

The goal of SELFMADE CITY is to present the qualities of these projects, with particular attention given to the design. Preserving the specific potential of Berlin is at stake. The project see for the presentation of an exhibition in Berlin that is accompanied by discourse events, excursions and a prblication that will reach a wide public and, at the same time, further discussion and political decision making. Which qualities have really been materialised through the self-initiative of architects, owners, and other space pioneers? What is the subsistence of future potential concerning Berlin’s urban planning? What are future-oriented fields of work and strategies, or even requirements and conditions that are need for self-initiated spatial design with an aspiration for high quality to continue? Project partner: Senatsverwaltung für Stadtentwicklung, Berlin.

Article for „Future West“ and Interview with Geoffrey London, following Fellowship at the University of Western Australia.

FUTURE-WEST-DENSE-CITY-Ring

Ring, K. 2016. SELF MADE CITY. English, pp. 20-29, published in Future West, Australian Urbanism. Volume 2:

Desire for Density. University of Western Australia. Print and online at http://www.alva.uwa.edu.au/community/futurewest

http://www.lulu.com/shop/timothy-moore/future-west-02-desire-for-density/paperback/product-

22924825.html

Online Publishing of Above article and commentary: on “The Conversation”

https://theconversation.com/reinventing-density-how-baugruppen-are-pioneering-the-self-made-city-66488

On the occasion of the International Architecture Festival, the URBAN LIVING exhibition was shown at the CAOM (Center For Architecture Madrid) in Madrid. The exhibition was designed specifically for the space, using components of the original exhibition.

Produced in cooperation with the Senate Department for Urban Development and the Environment Berlin, together with the Deutsche Botschaft Madrid. 2015

Exhibition Design: Kristien Ring, AA PROJECTS

SPEAKERS: Carlo Ratti (IT/US), Kristien Ring (US/DE), Geeta Mehta (IN/US), Peter Androsch (AT)

POST CITY Habitats for the 21st Century

ARS ELECTRONICA Festival for Art, Technology and Society

Linz, September 3-7, 2015

http://www.aec.at/postcity/en/

Concept for the Program accompanying the URBAN LIVING exhibition / Moderation of the discussions:

15.06.15, 7pm Y-Table Talk #1: Affordable Housing? (Bezahlbares Wohnen?) Which strategies enable affordable living? What are acceptable minimal standards and what can we do without? Rather self-build or a fully finished flat? How can new floor plan and circulation configurations help? A discussion with Berlin housing associations and architects from the URBAN LIVING workshop as well as SELF-MADE CITY projects. The discussion was held in German. Greeting: Matthias Böttger, curator DAZ, Dirk Böttcher, Senate Department for Urban Development and the Environment Keynote: Joachim Schultz-Granberg, münster school of architecture / Städtebau + Architektur Berlin Moderation By: Kristien Ring, AA PROJECTS – curator of the Urban Living exhibition Impulse lectures by architects of the URBAN LIVING-Workshop an the built SELF-MADE CITY projects: Martina Bauer, Barkow Leibinger; Jesko Fezer and Christoph Schmidt, Ifau and Jesko Fezer; Christian Schöningh, Die Zusammenarbeiter; Georg Poduschka, PPAG Further experts at the Y-Table: Carolin Franke, Talli + Architekturbüro R. Schnitzler; Matthias Rottman, De Zwarte Hond; Klaus Overmeyer and Philipp Misselwitz, Urban Catalyst Studio; Florian Koehl, fatkoehl; Matthias Schütte, GPSarchitectrue + Canals Moneo; Matthias Winkler, UmweltBank and representatives of Berlin municipal housing associations: Stefanie Frensch, CEO of the Berlin municipal housing association HOWOGE; Snezana Michaelis, CEO of the Berlin municipal housing association Gewobag ***

22.06.2015, 7pm Y-Table Talk #2: New Forms of Living? (Wie Wohnen Wir Wohnen?) Do communal spaces have a future? What is the housing associations’ position towards new forms of living? What is the connection of living concepts with new forms of mobility? Extreme or radical forms of living are often ignored in new building projects. However, those are the forms of living that have the potential for both cost-saving and future developments. URBAN LIVING projects as well as best practice SELF MADE CITY projects reinterpret the connections between living units, develop special forms of living and ask themselves a couple of questions: by bike to the door? Working spaces directly in the flat or next to it? A guest house or a party space in the house? Ready to move in or self-built? A higher standard or a lower standard with a lower rent? Greetings by: Matthias Böttger, curator DAZ, Regula Lüscher, Senate Building Director of Berlin Keynote: Arndt Pechstein, Biomimicry Germany & phi360 Moderation By: Kristien Ring, AA PROJECTS – curator of the Urban Living exhibition Impulse lectures by architects of the URBAN LIVING-Workshop an the built SELF-MADE CITY projects: Johanna Meyer-Grohbrügge, June 14 Meyer-Grobrügge & Chermayeff; Susanne Hofmann, Baupiloten; Sascha Zander, zanderroth; Almut Grüntuch-Ernst, Grüntuch-Ernst-Architekten; Matthias Winkler, UmweltBank Further experts at the Y-Table: Matthew Griffin, deadline; Anne Kaestle, Duplex; Vanessa Miriam Carlow, COBE; Verena von Beckerath, Heide & von Beckerath; Jürgen Patzak-Poor, BARarchitekten; Jörg Leeser, BeL – Soziätet für Architektur; Anne Niehüser, Cityförster architecture + urbanism; Gudrun Sack, NÄGELIARCHITEKTEN; Imke Woelk, Imke Woelk und Partner; Christoph Heinemann, Ifau und Jesko Fezer and representatives of Berlin municipal housing associations: Kristina Jahn, degewo; Ingo Malter, Stadt und Land and Georg Unger, Gesobau AG

An expert panel discussion focusing on the architectural und urban qualities of self-initiated development and how these can be transferred as principles to new projects in the conditions of other cities.

How can new processes in architectural production contribute to a sustainable urban development and which policy adjustments enable new typologies and hybrid programs?

GUESTS:

Ute Weiland, Dep. Director of the Alfred Herrhausen Society, International Forum of the Deutsche Bank: On synergies between governance and self-initiated, alternative development and the effects on the neighborhood – an international view point.

Paola Alfaro d´Alencon, TU Berlin Urban Research and Design Laboratory: on Ephemere Development, initiatives and their short and longer-term effects – a look at three case studies.

Prof. Irena Baumann, Bauman Lyons Architects, University of Sheffield, UK: On Retrofitting Neighbourhoods: Small Blueprints Big Transformation. Sam Brown, Researcher – NaCSBA Research & Development Programme, UK: On Collective Custom Build, Right to Build legislation the goals of the Urban Room policy.

Tina Saaby, City Architect at Copenhagen Municipality: On Strategic Urbanism.

Tuukka Linnas, architect, Kalasatama and Malmi Project, Helsinki City Planning Department, Finnland: “Learning from Berlin – Creating Possibilities for Co-Housing in Kalasatama, Helsinki”.

Dr. Klaus Boemer, Managing Director of Gewobag EB (Berlin): On how alternative models can work for large scale, mixed-use developments—example of the Eckwerk, Holzmarkt, Berlin.

Florian Koehl, Architect and initiator of Berlin Baugruppen Projects: On parameters for the future of Baugruppen.

CONCEPT and MODERATION by: Kristien Ring AA PROJECTS – author of SELF MADE CITY and URBAN LIVING

URBAN LIVING Strategies for the Future
The massive need for living space in many big cities today is a chance to forge a new era of housing by creating new qualities. The URBAN LIVING exhibition presents ideas and best practice examples for new, affordable living typologies, vibrant neighborhoods and a resilient urban development. The exhibition shows strategies that improve urban life while strengthening specific characteristics of individual neighborhoods.

Projects from the international URBAN LIVING workshop and from the SELF-MADE CITY publication are presented.

DAZ Deutsches Architecture Zentrum, Berlin

Curated by Kristien Ring
Exhibition Design and Architecture: AA PROJECTS, Berlin – Ellen Ashenden, Lisa Kreft (Research), Kristien Ring
With contributions by: Trudy Bittner Rosser, Marcos L. Rosa, ifau und Jesko Fezer
Exhibition graphic design: Panatom
Photographs of Exhibition by: schnepp • renou
Featuring Projects by:
03 Architekten, augustinundfrank, Barkow Leibinger, BARarchitekten, Beckmann N’Thépé, Bel – Sozietät für Architektur, Bruno Fioretti Marquez, Canals Moneo + GPS, Carpaneto, CITYFÖRSTER + Mark Niehüser, COBE Berlin, Deadline, De Zwarte Hond, Die Baupiloten, Die Zusammenarbeiter, Duplex, fatkoehl, fatkoehl + Urban Catalyst Studio, Fink & Jocher, ifau und Jesko Fezer, ifau und Jesko Fezer | HEIDE & VON BECKERATH, Herault Arnod, Imke Woelk, Jan Wiese, JUNE 14 Meyer-Grohbrügger & Chermayeff, Kaden & Partner, NÄGELIARCHITEKTEN, OFFSEA, PPAG, realities:united, Talli + Schnitzler, Temperaturas Extremas, VUKOJA GOLDINGER, wiewiorra hopp schwark, zanderrotharchitekten as well as all from the Urban Quarter Friesenstraße Exhibition in cooperation with the Senate Department for Urban Planning and the Environment, Berlin.

With the kind support of:
WBM Wohnungsbaugesellschaft Berlin-Mitte mbH
GEWOBAG Wohnungsbau-Aktiengesellschaft Berlin
STADT UND LAND Wohnbauten-Gesellschaft mbH
GESOBAU AG
degewo AG
HOWOGE Wohnungsbaugesellschaft mbH
Umweltbank