Jochen Gauly

Dipl.-Ing. Urban planner

1998-present
Company owner, working as urban planner in Leipzig and various cities in foreign countries

1997-1998
Project assistant in the gtz project “Municipal and Regional Development Las Verapaces”, Guatemala

1994-1996
Employee at Büro für Umweltplanung und Stadtentwicklung (B.U.S. – Environmental Planning and Urban Development) in Oberursel

1987-1994
Engineering Studies in Spatial and Environmental Planning at the University of Kaiserslautern

Felix Volgmann

M.Sc. Regional and Urban Planning Studies

2016-present
Company owner, working as consultant for urban development and local self-governance

2014-2015
Masters Degree in Regional and Urban Planning Studies at the London School of Economics and Political Sciences (LSE)

2010-2014
Junior Consultant at Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in the Local Governance Programme South Caucasus in Tbilisi, Georgia

2006-2010
Bachelor Degree in Public Management & Governance at the Zeppelin University Friedrichshafen

Ilka Laux

2005-present
Employee at bgh.

1998-2003
Employed in the field of event organization and cultural services

1994-1998
Self-employed in the field of event organization and cultural services

1990-1994
Employee at the Cultural Office of the City of Leipzig

1987-1990
Fine Arts Studies in Meissen

Diana Maria Ramirez Daza

M.Sc. Regional and Urban Planning Studies

2019-present
Urban Development Consultant at bgh.

2015-2018
Regional Development Advisor at the National Planning Department (DNP) of the Government of Colombia in Bogotá

2014-2015
Masters Degree in Regional and Urban Planning Studies at the London School of Economics and Political Sciences (LSE)

2013-2014
Legal Advisor at the national oil and gas company “Ecopetrol S.A” at the office of the Vice-President of Transportation, Logistics and Technical Assets Management in Bogotá, Colombia

2012-2013
Project Assistant at the urban renovation project “Progresa Fenicia” and teaching  at the Law School of the Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia and Legal advisor at Juan Felipe Pinilla – Urban Law Consultancy in Bogotá, Colombia

2006-2011
Bachelor of Social Science (BSc) in Political Science and Bachelor of Laws (LLB) at Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia

Sofiya Chuhuyevets

M.Sc. Urban Design

2019-Present
Employee at bgh.

2018-2019 
Project manager for competitions and awarding at D&K drost consult GmbH, Hamburg

2016-2017 
Internship at Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in the global project Connective Cities, Bonn

2014-2016 
Masters degree in Urban Design (M.Sc.) at HafenCity University Hamburg

2014
Internship at Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in the project “Municipal Development and Old Town Redevelopment in Lviv, Ukraine”.

2012-2013
Internship at Ranger Design im Bereich Innenarchitektur und Ausstellungsgestaltung, Stuttgart

2010-2014
Bachelor’s degree in Innenarchitektur  (B.A.) at the Fachhochschule Rosenheim

Sonja Golinski

2022-Present
Employee at bgh.

2020-Present
Neighborhood management Paunsdorf

2019-2020
Consultant in working group for family issues e.V.

2019-2021
Regional Representative Leipzig, Leipziger Land and North Saxony for the Inclusion Network Saxony

2016-2018
Project manager for the Inclusive Neighborhood Center Mobile Disability Service

2014-2016
Educational assistant Day care for people with disabilities,
Mobile disability service

2008
Dipl. degree in “Cultural Management” from the Saxon Academy of Administration and Economics

Ksenia Faust

M.Sc. Urban and regional planning

2023 -Present
Employee at bgh.

2022-2023
Employee in bureau for urban planning in Leipzig

2017-2021 
Masters’s degree in Urban and regional Planning at Brandenburgische Technische Universität (BTU) Cottbus-Senftenberg

2017-2019 
Research assitant at Fachgebiet Stadtmanagement, BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg

2014-2017 
Bachelor’s degree in Urban and regional Planning at Brandenburgische Technische Universität (BTU) Cottbus-Senftenberg

Mary Uhlig

Dipl. industrial engineering

Seit 2024 
Employee at bgh.

seit 2021
Freelance consultant for project and urban development

2013-2021 
Project manager at the City of Leipzig in the field of urban renewal/district development and digital city

2009-2013 
Project manager at KEWOG Städtebau GmbH (in Leipzig, Fulda, Weißenfels) and academic work at the Brandenburg Technical University Cottbus

2002-2009 
Degree in industrial engineering at the University of Leipzig

Astrid Heck

* 28.8.1974 in Bonn, + 07.07.2009 in Leipzig

What remains in the heart and mind of Astrid Heck is the memory of a likeable, active, fun-loving and ambitious colleague. In times of a rapidly shrinking city of Leipzig, she worked as a landscape architect and urban planner to develop and implement innovative approaches to preserving the architectural heritage and upgrading public spaces.

As a founding member of HausHalten e.V., she recognized early on that vacant buildings from the founding period threatened by decay are not an unsolvable problem, but hold great potential. Instead of the often common practice of demolishing buildings, Astrid worked in the HausHalten association to secure and preserve the value of endangered old buildings by acquiring new users on a non-commercial basis. Many buildings that are significant in terms of urban development and building culture were preserved in the following years thanks to the so-called guardian house approach and ultimately preserved for long-term use through comprehensive renovation and modernization.

The upgrading and reutilization of neglected inner-city open spaces, especially vacant lots and brownfield sites, was also an important concern for Astrid. Together with the Office for Urban Renewal and Housing Promotion of the City of Leipzig, she developed the licensing agreement for the temporary use of private spaces. In order to bring supply and demand together, Astrid Heck designed the open space portal “Freiräume für Bürgerträume” in collaboration with the CivixX office. Many previously unused open spaces, particularly in the west and east of Leipzig, were revitalized under private law.

Unexpectedly and tragically, Astrid Heck lost her young life when her daughter Nele was born.

By then, she had already been held in high esteem by her colleagues and the community for a large number of innovative projects. She was particularly distinguished by the fact that she never took the easy way out in her actions.

We want to continue the projects in her spirit and identify and implement new content.