AWO CARE SERVICES WITTSTOCK
Location: Wittstock/Dosse, Germany
Client: AWO Betreuungsdienste gGmbH Friesack
Year: 2025
Service phases: Preparation, Concept Design (HOAI 1–2)
Area: 9.430 m²
AWO STAYS COOL
Built in 1793, the Unter den Linden house with its historic garden is located directly on the Dosse River in the terminal moraine landscape of Ostprignitz. Today, it is used by the AWO as a residential facility for assisted living for elderly people with psychiatric impairments and/or physical disabilities.
The project is funded by the ‘Climate Adaptation in Social Institutions’ programme and aims to protect particularly vulnerable population groups from the consequences of climate change through nature-based measures. The focus of the planning is on comprehensive rainwater management.
To enhance the outdoor facilities, new recreation and activity areas are planned, including a cistern raised hide with a view of the landscape, a pond with a stream and riparian vegetation, a vegetable garden with compost, natural habitats such as Benjes hedges and stone-branch biotopes, and a garden misting system for cooling. A new path network opens up the natural areas and invites visitors to use and relax outdoors.
Rainwater is retained on site via cisterns, a natural pond and infiltration basins distributed across the grounds, and used to strengthen vegetation, soil and groundwater. Existing trees and shrubs are preserved and supplemented with climate-resilient trees, shrubs and natural hedges to provide shade and cooling for the house and garden.
