The straightening and damming of the Ruhr created the foundation for the once flourishing Henrichshütte industrial area. After closure, a phase of industrial wasteland followed before the area finally developed into a generous playground for commerce and logistics. Under human influence, the 130-hectare site in the Ruhr valley near Hattingen has experienced numerous transformations. Not least the catastrophic flood in July 2021 showed that anthropocentric changes can have significant consequences for the ecological functions of the landscape. The people in the valley are now confronted with serious challenges for a livable future.

In the Master's project "The Ruhr Case" students will push the boundaries of the imaginable in order to address these challenges. They take a broad view of the determining landscape and the industrial heritage of the region. They examine and test processes for a climate-adaptive development of the commercial area and finally design exemplary concepts for dealing with a trading estate at the river. Aim is nothing less than a vision for the resilient commercial area of the future.