dgj227 Jungerhalde West Konstanz
On behalf of the City of Konstanz and the municipal housing association WOBAK, DGJ Architektur 2024/2025 carried out a study on cost-effective, subsidised housing construction using timber for the ‘Jungerhalde West’ model neighbourhood in Konstanz-Allmannsdorf. The study was carried out as part of a Europe-wide tender in collaboration with bauart Konstruktions GmbH & Co. KG (ARGE Jungerhalde, led by DGJ) and with technical support from Transsolar Energietechnik GmbH. The project was funded by the Baden-Württemberg Timber Construction Initiative. The study (German only) has since been published on the Constance City Council website.
The project was based on an urban design competition held in 2021 (Krehl.Girke Architekten, Konstanz), which set out the framework for ten residential buildings with a mixed tenant mix and a focus on affordable housing for lower-income workers. The aim of the study was to further develop this urban design in terms of cost-effectiveness, space efficiency and eligibility for funding using timber construction, and to compare it with mineral-based construction methods.
Within the architectural concept, three building types with different circulation arrangements and grids were developed and compared; one type, featuring a central, uniformly gridded circulation core, proved to be the most space- and cost-efficient approach and was explored in greater depth. A four-storey, largely standardised construction method with a high degree of repetition was identified as the economically optimal solution. Structurally, the concept relies on timber frame or timber bulkhead construction with cross-laminated timber (CLT) floors and a solid circulation core for bracing.The energy concept developed by Transsolar provides for a central, heat-pump-based heating system and a building-integrated photovoltaic system, whilst also taking into account the demand for electric mobility, with the aim of achieving a climate-neutral energy supply for the neighbourhood. The study culminates in a set of guidelines containing strategies—transferable beyond the scope of this project—for cost-effective, subsidised housing construction using timber.
