An MIT professor is transforming an abandoned WWII military village into a futuristic commune
A former US military village in Heidelberg, Germany will soon get a makeover.
Following World War II in 1947, Patrick Henry Village was founded as a military base with housing, schools, shops, a library, medical clinics, and restaurants. In 2013, the US Army abandoned the area, but it hasn't been completely deserted. In 2015, a small portion of Patrick Henry Village was converted into a temporary shelter for refugees from North Africa and the Middle East.
Within the next decade, it will get an even bigger overhaul.
Design firm Carlo Ratti Associati wants to turn Patrick Henry Village into a futuristic commune that will feature shared homes, kitchens, and cars.
Carlo Ratti, the director of MIT's Senseable City Lab and founding partner of Carlo Ratti Associati, tells Business Insider that the city of Heidelberg has approved the proposal. Currently, the team is designing the 240-acre site, and construction will be complete within the next five to 10 years.
Check out the plans below.
Patrick Henry Village (PHV) opened in 1947 as the US Army's European headquarters after WWII. Here's an aerial view, taken in 2009, of the 240-acre site.
Google/ScreenshotAmerican families with relatives who worked on the base lived in apartment housing pictured below.
patrickhenryvillage.wordpress.comSource: Patrick Henry Village Blog
At its peak, an estimated 16,000 Americans lived there.
patrickhenryvillage.wordpress.comSource: Patrick Henry Village Blog
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