This residential project by Löffler Schmeling Architects stands out for several compelling reasons. Affordable and speculation-free housing here thrives on community spirit, mutual support, and environmentally conscious living. The building cooperative operates as a GmbH & Co. KG: residents lease their homes and secure occupancy rights through limited partnership shares. This structure ensures stable, long-term rents independent of individual ownership changes. A foundation serves as the "guardian" of the project's social mission. These guiding principles are woven throughout the architecture—nowhere more evident than in the atrium, the building's beating heart. This gathering space features open galleries that serve a dual purpose: they connect residents to their homes while transforming into vibrant communal areas where everyday encounters naturally unfold.

The recessed and projecting facade elements combined with the subdivision into multiple residential units allow the solid timber construction to integrate harmoniously with the surrounding single-family, duplex, and terraced homes. The high proportion of exposed wood makes the positive properties of this natural material evident throughout the atrium and apartments alike. The additive assembly of carefully designed details enables future deconstruction of the building. Economic efficiency—achieved through reduced construction time and costs—was primarily attained via an elevated degree of prefabrication: cross-laminated timber panels for the facades and prefabricated bathroom modules, for instance. Timber walls and ceilings remain exposed, following the principle of "raw construction equals finished construction," which reduces both costs and error-prone interfaces. Wall installation via threshold members minimized the number of full-threaded screws at the wall-ceiling junction. Only the atrium and bathroom walls incorporate installation and backing layers to ensure enhanced acoustic protection and shield the timber from moisture. Heating is provided through a brine-water heat pump and 16 energy piles, complemented by photovoltaic modules. Unit-wise distribution of secondary circuits reduces circulation losses and energy waste.

To maintain cost control while maximizing resident input and individuality, the architects partnered with an experienced timber construction firm from the planning phase onward. Specialist engineers and contractors joined the design process early, bringing their expertise to bear. This collaborative approach enabled details to be refined and optimized while still on the drawing board.

www.klimagerechte-architektur.de

Photography:

Martin Duckek
www.martinduckek.de

(Published in CUBE Stuttgart 04|23)