Birkenstraße West Residential Complex, Penzberg
Sustainable residential quarter for all needs
Location:
Penzberg, 50 km south of Munich
Client:
City of Penzberg
Architecture:
H2M Architekten + Stadtplaner GmbH, Munich
Project Management:
NorthropHitzler Ingenieure, Munich
Structural Engineering:
Dr. Blasy – Dr. Overland, Eching
Assembly Partner:
B2B facade solutions, Bochum
Construction Period:
July 2021 to January 2025
The centrally located residential complex is spread across seven building structures, which are staggered on a south-facing hillside with a picturesque view of the Alps. The varied arrangement of the buildings creates a vertical articulation that not only provides orientation but also fosters a sense of community.
Outdoor communal space – room to flourish
The ecologically sustainable housing project, comprising a total of 149 affordable apartments, was designed entirely around the needs of its residents. For example, H2M Architekten und Stadtplaner consistently integrated the concept of “car-free living” to create a space for social interaction. Each row is connected to an underground car park that gently rises from the hillside. This design achieves an inviting alleyway situation between the rows, which serves as an access route. Deliberately placed widenings provide space and invite residents to linger. The green flat roofs of the underground car parks serve both as private outdoor areas for the ground-floor apartments and as a communal garden for all residents. These areas are designed in a versatile manner and offer unrestricted communal outdoor space that can be used as a barbecue area, garden oasis, or playground – a place that embraces life and enables relaxed leisure activities.
Access to the apartments is via a shared stairwell, which serves three or four apartments per floor from the north. The bright living spaces and outdoor areas face south, offering a panoramic view of the mountain landscape. The well-balanced range of accommodation includes 2-, 3-, and 4-room apartments, as well as an inviting communal room in one of the buildings. All apartments are designed to be barrier-free, with four of them equipped for wheelchair users.
The floor plans of the residential buildings are clearly structured. The residential quarter was constructed using a modern timber-concrete hybrid method and meets the KfW-55 standard. The load-bearing ceilings and partition walls between apartments were built using a robust cross-wall construction method in reinforced concrete, while the non-load-bearing exterior walls consist of prefabricated timber frame panels. The flat roofs have also been fully equipped with photovoltaic systems in order to supply the energy generated to residents as part of a tenant electricity model.
At Rubner, we were responsible for the entire timber construction work on the building envelope for this project – from planning and prefabrication through to assembly. Approximately 7,400 m² of prefabricated wall elements in timber frame construction with pre-greyed timber cladding and 2,100 m² of timber-aluminium windows represent the core scope of Rubner’s work, alongside sun protection and scaffolding services. The components for the multi-storey hybrid building are already prefabricated to a surface-ready finish in the factory, including the cladding, and are finished on the interior side with an OSB board. Production under workshop conditions ensures a high quality of workmanship and reduced assembly times.
The project has been recognised for its land-efficient approach with a KlimaKulturKompetenz award from the Bavarian Chamber of Architects.
