The naming of these two student residences in Wedding offers a playful geography lesson. Both buildings sit at street corners along Amrumer Straße – Norderoog where it meets See-/Amrumer Straße, and Süderoog at the intersection with Ostender Straße – effectively framing the urban block. The names themselves reference the North Frisian island of Amrum, which the street is named after. Off the coast of Amrum lie two small islands, Norderoog and Süderoog, both UNESCO-recognized biosphere reserves. The architects transported this poetic nomenclature to Berlin, creating what amounts to a biotope for students.

Each living cluster spans 250 m² and brings together four double apartments – each with two rooms – arranged around a central service core containing a bathroom and compact kitchen. A shared common room with full kitchen completes the unit. The design is ingenious: communal spaces face the busy street with translucent façades that broadcast the vibrancy of communal life to passersby, while private living quarters open onto a tranquil, noise-buffered courtyard. Each floor unfolds from public to private, outside to in. This approach defines what the architects call "experimental housing" – a collaboration between carpaneto.schöningh architekten and Lemme Locke Lührs Architektinnen. The experimental aspect extends beyond student life: the developer, municipal housing association Gewobag, insisted the design remain adaptable for other residents. Two adjacent double apartments can merge into a family home; the same clusters work equally well for seniors. Spaces grow and shift with their inhabitants' needs. Beyond the residential cores, ground floors provide multifunctional commercial spaces, a shared foyer connecting both buildings (in Süderoog), a laundry café, fitness facilities, and a learning lounge (in Norderoog). The two buildings together house 25 clusters containing 88 apartments for 195 residents. At €350 per month, rents respect student finances. The project's thoughtful integration of features earned it both a DAM Prize 2020 nomination and a spot on the German Building Owner Award shortlist.

www.carpanetoschoeningh.de
www.lemmelockeluehrs.de

Photography Credits:

Jan Bitter
janbitter.de

(Published in CUBE Berlin 01|21)