Attractively coloured apartment buildings, large windows, and lots of green spaces – with the GBG building project’ ‘Freier Weg,’ the times when a social housing was synonymous with modest living conditions in concrete blocks become a thing of the past.
About the area
The area is a former classic workers’ housing estate formerly known as ‘Benz-Barracken’ in the suburb of Mannheim-Waldhof. GBG’s goal is to break up the former very homogeneous social structures in this area. The project is intended to create high-quality, attractive housing in the lower price segment in the Mannheim urban area. This pursues a key strategic objective of GBG as well as contributes to improving the image of the residential area.
After the demolition of the old residential buildings that were no longer suitable for refurbishment, eleven buildings with a total of 147 dwellings for rent (ranging from 1 to 4 room apartments) were built. 100% of the dwellings are subsidised under the Baden-Wuerttemberg state housing subsidy program.
Focus on sustainability and comfort
The construction of the new 147 dwellings was completed in the first quarter of 2023. The buildings with flat roofs were carried out in modular construction, which means that there are eleven houses identical in design. This leads to lower costs.
The arrangement of the new buildings has been chosen in such a way that they enhance the entire residential area and provide a view of the greenery. The new buildings with large windows and balconies are loosely connected by green spaces including a 500 square meter playground and a footpath. Thanks to this, it was possible to preserve many old trees and new ones were also planted.
The rainwater seeps away completely on the property and solar modules have been installed on the roofs, which can supply a total of 310 kw/peak of electricity. This helps to counteract climate change.
Considering the increasing age of the tenants, all apartments on the first floors are barrier-free so that the tenants can move around without restrictions.
Waste is stored in underground containers. An underground garage was dispensed with for cost reasons, but there are seven electric car charging stations and 99 parking spaces on the street. A comparatively large number of 276 bicycle parking spaces has also been included. As they are located under balconies and covered building entrances, the saddle stays dry even when it rains. The thermal insulation meets the Kfw 55 standard and heating is provided by district heating.
With the completed buildings, GBG makes an important contribution to providing affordable yet high-quality apartments for residents of Mannheim at various stages of life.
Affordable housing, climate-neutral living and urban development are key issues for GBG. But substantial investments are needed for the construction of new affordable housing and for the energy-efficient refurbishment of existing properties. With a loan from the European Investment Bank and a rating from Standard & Poor’s, GBG is able to finance these investments on a sustainable basis.
Find out more
If you are a member of Eurhonet, you can find out more about this project by contacting GBG’s Coordinator through the Members Only Zone. If you are not yet a member, find out about joining us.