For the proven Design Thinking workshop, Elsa Wormeck ventured to the Holzmarkt grounds with Treibhaus 0.8 in the summer of 2015. Here, the core team of Kater Holzig, in collaboration with experts from various creative disciplines, is bringing to life an entire alternative city district over the coming years. Alongside Katerblau, the Fame Restaurant, a daycare center, studios, event locations, and a hotel, the Eckwerk – Berlin’s future start-up magnet – is also being developed here. The task for the Treibhaus students:

“What could a path look like that leads from the grounds into the Eckwerk and spatially, functionally, and communicatively connects the five buildings?”

A case for applying the Design Thinking model!

The two-and-a-half-day workshop begins with a day of field research: in the construction container, Eckwerk collaborator Uta Mühleis gives the Treibhaus team a project overview. On the adjacent Pampa grounds, Johannes Husten explains the innovative business model.

Ideation and Prototyping: On the Wooden Path?

The following day is all about brainstorming, cutting, and sketching to the fullest extent. To get the creativity flowing, the students turn a boathouse on the opposite side of the Spree riverbank into their studio. Now it’s time for self-organization and teamwork at high speed – because the next day, the designs will be presented to Anke Wetzel, the managing director of Eckwerk.