How will we live as we age? It's a question on many minds. Social participation, affordable housing, and barrier-free design should all be possible. But subsidized housing demands far more than this, as Fabian Bergfort and Sebastian Sehr of Sustina AG know well. Together with architectural firm Lecke, they developed a project that met these demanding criteria so successfully that both Münster-based companies earned a commendation at the 2023 BDA Architecture Award.

The new apartment building occupies a long-vacant site in a prime location opposite the town hall, within walking distance of the city center and park, and well-connected to public transit. It features 24 subsidized two-bedroom apartments with private loggias and three luxury penthouses offering generous roof terraces and green views. The façade employs multi-colored clinker brick from a regional producer—its varied appearance reflects the building's different uses while offering practical benefits: clinker is durable, low-maintenance, and cost-effective when standard formats are used, making it ideal for affordable housing solutions. The integrated carport features a green roof, with electric vehicle charging stations available in the courtyard. Two generous stairwells with skylights flood the barrier-free building with natural light. Hallways are spacious enough for walkers, letterboxes are mounted horizontally for easy access, and all elevators accommodate horizontal stretchers for emergency situations. The ground floor houses flexible commercial space—offices for the local Caritas organization, a small café, and a shared community room for residents. These spaces are designed to convert to apartments if needed. The apartments max out at 55 m², a deliberate choice, as architect Sebastian Sehr explains: "In subsidized housing in North Rhine-Westphalia, when a couple living in a 70 m² apartment loses one partner, the survivor must vacate because housing vouchers only permit 55 m² units for a single person." The answer: compact but generously proportioned two-bedroom apartments with floor-to-ceiling windows that respect this threshold.

www.sustina.ag
www.lecke-architekten.de

Photos:
Mario Brand
www.mariobrand.net
Fabian Bergfort

(From CUBE Ruhrgebiet 02|24)