WohnArt3 | Elisabeth-Selbert-Straße 6-8

WohnArt3 combines the idea of a passive house with the concept of multi-generational living. What is unusual is that the idea was not realised by a housing cooperative, but by the municipal company bauverein AG. It made a conscious decision not to build owner-occupied flats and instead opted for rental flats.

WohnArt3 was launched in 2005 with the founding of a tenants' group, which - like the Passive House Institute Darmstadt - was involved in the planning process from the outset. The collaborative approach meant that solutions to technical and structural problems had to be found together again and again during the course of the construction planning and realisation. The tenants' initiative's wishes, such as an inner courtyard designed as a communicative centre and playground, guest flats, barrier-free flats and entrances, a communal room with kitchen and rentable office units, were incorporated into the planning. The result is an ensemble consisting of a three-and-a-half-storey and a two-storey corner with an inner courtyard and 44 flats, 1/3 each for families, couples and singles. Three flats are wheelchair accessible, 14 are subsidised.

The residential complex with 3,650 m2 of living space in a classic passive house design is insulated by 30 centimetres and equipped with triple-glazed windows and a decentralised ventilation system with highly efficient heat recovery. The majority of the heat requirement is thus covered by passive sources (solar radiation, waste heat from residents / technical appliances). As a result, the heating costs for WohnArt3 have been reduced by 90 % compared to a new EnEV building! In order to meet the individual heating requirements of the residents, each flat was equipped with additional heating systems. A special feature is the "heating flat rate" introduced in consultation with the tenants.

Photos: © Thomas Ott Photography, www.o2t.de; © Frank Seifert, www.frank-seifert.com