Awarded the German Timber Construction Prize 2025: The Collegium Academicum in Heidelberg

The Collegium Academicum student residence in Heidelberg has been honored with the German Timber Construction Prize 2025 – an award that recognizes the project as exemplary for forward-looking timber construction.

The residence was developed through an intensive co-design process with future residents and focuses on flexible, resource-efficient living arrangements tailored specifically to student needs. The emphasis lies on high-quality use of compact space, long-term adaptability, and an ecological construction method with minimal material consumption.

Particular recognition was given to the structural execution: the load-bearing system is based on a modular timber construction system that uses pure materials and mechanically detachable connections. By deliberately avoiding metallic fasteners and integrating traditional wood joinery into a modern system-building approach, the result is not only an especially sustainable but also a fully reversible building. The elements can be disassembled and reused – an important contribution to circular economy in construction.

The building remains adaptable during its use: room layouts and usage concepts can evolve over time without requiring major interventions. This project demonstrates how a long-term usable, sustainable, and at the same time architecturally ambitious multi-story timber building can be realized.

We are delighted by this award and thank all project participants for their dedicated collaboration.