Sensemaking
Abandonment

The abandoned space chosen lies at the edge of Cologne. Built in 1886 by Eduard von Oppenheim, "Haus Fühlingen" passed through many owners until around 1967 when it was entirely abandoned and left to decay. Today it is known as a place of mystery and mythology for urban explorers.

The aim was to shift the narrative of abandonment from negative — dark, scary, empty of life — to one of possibility. When a structure is abandoned, it is exposed to the elements and time. Nothing can truly be abandoned if it was not previously experienced. That experience becomes the material.

Using Rhino and AutoCAD, a full 2D and 3D drawing package of Haus Fühlingen was created — scaled plans, elevations, and 3D models derived from on-site sketches and 3D scanning. This allowed the team to understand the house physically, including inaccessible areas.

Using an app called Canvas which makes use of LiDAR and photogrammetry, the abandoned space was scanned and transformed into a 3D model of the visual terrain. This digital twin of decay became the primary representation tool.

From the different sensations and perceptions collected during on-site exploration, the house was then "unfolded" two-dimensionally — a flat infographic mapping the areas visited, the sensations felt, and how the designers perceived the space as they moved through it.

To visualize the moods and atmospheres of the abandoned architecture, a series of 2D and 3D collages were developed. These combine line drawings, photographs, 3D scans, sensations and perceptions of space — helping to emotionally and spatially express the sense of abandonment through lines and dots that abstract the feel of the space.