Design in context

Munich-based landscape architects Keller Damm Kollegen work from the inside out, and from content to form. The creative concept always follows the inherent historical, geological and socio-economic context of the location.

This conceptual idea involves the usage of materials and plants that correspond with a specific place or form as part of its history. In times of dramatically parched parks due to the urban summer droughts brought on by climate change, Keller Damm Kollegen is also at the forefront of creating economic water-preserving solutions: for the trees of cities, for example.

From theatre to landscaping

Regine Keller developed a fascination for landscape design after several years of working in the world of theatre. After training with a landscape gardener, she broadened her knowledge with a degree in landscape architecture, leading to founding a one-woman office in 1998. Competition wins supported swift growth through to the team of 30 that the office is comprised of today. And thanks to a professorial post at the Technische Universität München, her colleague Franz Damm joined the leadership team in 2005.

Connecting with local conditions

For the revitalisation of the Raitenhaslach monastery’s outer areas, Keller Damm Kollegen worked with locally available materials like granite and nagelfluh (natural concrete). They also used natural stones and local plants linked to the site’s historical context, such as yew tree balls.

Landscaping and archaeology

UNESCO World Heritage Site Grube Messel, near Darmstadt, is a famous fossil site. The direct surroundings of the visitor centre mirror its theme of layered oil shales. The design typology is