Roofs of the future: Innovative ideas for our cities are taking over the sky!

Roofs of the future: Innovative ideas for our cities are taking over the sky!

On April 25, 2025, the Schöck University Prize “Urban Roof Space” was awarded in Baden-Baden. This commitment promotes discussion of the topic of the “fifth facade” – the roof. The prize, which was already in its third edition in the winter semester 2024/2025, is supported by AIT-Dialog and Schöck Components GmbH. Students from three renowned universities took part in the competition: the HafenCity University of Hamburg, the Technical University of Berlin and the Bergische University of Wuppertal.

The competition theme “Urban Roof Space” focused on the use and design of roof spaces, which are considered integral elements of urban design. These areas offer great potential for innovative and sustainable solutions, including greenery, photovoltaic systems and alternative forms of use. Roofs make up up to 25% of urban areas, which in Germany corresponds to 2% of the total area. However, only around 9% of these roof areas have so far been used for sustainable purposes, such as photovoltaics and greenery.

Prize winners and jury

The award ceremony was a highlight for around 100 participants, whose projects were evaluated by a top-class jury. The first prize went to Bennet Frick from HafenCity University Hamburg for his “Adaptive Roof” concept. Second and third place went to Natalie Mateja and Anne Tsega with “Green Living of the Future” as well as Anastasia Karch and Finja Neubacher, who received recognition for their bachelor’s thesis “Moving Roof Landscape”. Under the supervision of Prof. Ing. Dirk Krutke and Prof. Antje Stockmann, the students developed creative approaches that called for a change of perspective “the city from above” and showed new uses for roofs.

The jury's verdicts can be viewed online and offer an insight into the multitude of ideas that went into the competition. This initiative is not only a step towards more environmentally friendly urban planning, but also promotes discussion about the challenges of urban densification.

Urban development and social relevance

The discussion about roof architecture has been shaped over decades by important personalities such as Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe. The so-called “roof dispute” shows the opposing philosophies in roof design, between flat roof and pitched roof use. In the context of today's urban challenges, particularly the lack of space in metropolises, the use of roof space is seen as an essential necessity to promote the diversity and liveliness of urban life.

The advantages of green roofs include sustainable rainwater use, increasing biodiversity and avoiding heat islands. These aspects contribute to a healthy urban climate and increase the quality of life of city residents. The aim of the “Urban Roof Space” ideas competition is to go beyond traditional approaches and create new perspectives and impulses in order to better use the potential of roofs and to promote integrative, lively urban structures.

The Schöck University Prize therefore acts as an important instrument to motivate students to develop innovative solutions in the field of urban spatial design and to take into account the urgent challenges of modern urban planning.

For further information about the competition and the prize winners, please refer to the reporting by HafenCity University Hamburg, more details about the university award are at AIT-XIA dialogue available, and a comprehensive analysis of urban challenges is available at Urban designs.