‘High quality – affordable costs’ – Deutscher Bauherrenpreis 2024
The Deutsche Bauherrenpreis is one of the most prestigious awards in the field of residential construction in Germany. It has been awarded jointly by the GdW Federal Association of German Housing and Property Companies, the Association of German Architects (BDA) and the Association of German Cities since 1986. The prize is primarily aimed at developers and recognises projects that combine high architectural quality, social responsibility and urban planning significance despite economic conditions.
The challenges for property developers are becoming increasingly complex from year to year. A lack of plots of land, a difficult financing situation and the challenges of climate change are just three of the many problem areas that property developers are currently facing. In addition, the subsidisation of housing plays a decisive role in keeping rents affordable for residents and enabling high-quality construction at affordable costs.
This year, a total of 195 projects nationwide were entered for the Deutsche Bauherrenpreis. The projects include new buildings, modernisations and conversions, and impressively demonstrate that affordable, climate-neutral and high-quality living space can be realised even in limited spaces.
From the numerous applications, 30 projects were finally nominated for the final selection of the Deutsche Bauherrenpreis. In the end, five of these projects were able to assert themselves as winners—these are the innovative projects of the winners in 2024:
- Conversion of GESOBAU-administrative headquarters into senior citizens' housing, Berlin
- Residential neighbourhood Sermer Weg / Volkardeyer Weg, Düsseldorf
- Housing for refugees—type houses, Erftstadt-Liblar
- Raiffeisen residential complex, Feldkirchen
- New student and trainee residence dgj 223, Heidelberg
The award-winning projects are forward-looking and innovative examples that meet the diverse challenges of our time and offer transferable solutions.
Award winner: Conversion of GESOBAU-administrative headquarters into senior citizens' housing, Berlin
- Client: Gesobau AG, Berlin
- Architecture: Anne Lampen Architekten BDA, Berlin
- Landscape: MEWIS Landschaftsarchitekten, Biesenthall
With the conversion of the former administrative headquarters, GESOBAU has succeeded in converting office space into flats while taking into account the needs of the tenants in the neighbourhood. The conversion is an example of how office buildings can be successfully repurposed to create more living space.
Award winner: Residential neighbourhood Sermer Weg / Volkardeyer Weg, Düsseldorf
- Client: Rheinwohnungsbau GmbH, Düsseldorf
- Architecture: hector3architekten; Schmale Architekten GmbH, Grevenbroich
- Landscape: GREEN Landschaftsarchitekten Clever + De Jonghe PartGmbB, Duisburg
With the project ‘Wohnquartier Sermer Weg / Volkardeyer Weg’, Rheinwohnungsbau shows that a sensible combination of demolition, new construction and preservation of existing buildings can provide good answers for the high-quality further development of residential neighbourhoods.
Award winner: Housing for refugees - type houses, Erftstadt-Liblar
- Client: Eigenbetrieb Immobilienwirtschaft Stadt Erftstadt, Erftstadt
- Architecture: Lorber Paul Architektur und Städtebau, Cologne
- Landscape: club L94 Landschaftsarchitekt*innen, Cologne
With the ‘Housing for Refugees’ project, Erftstadt is not only demonstrating responsibility for the accommodation of refugees, but also impressively showing that refugee accommodation with high architectural quality can be transferred to the normal housing market in the future.
Award winner: Raiffeisen residential complex, Feldkirchen
- Client: Municipality of Feldkirchen, Feldkirchen
- Architecture: Felix+Jonas Architekten with m3 Bauprojektmanagement for LPH 6-9, Munich
- Landscape: mahl gebhard konzepte, landscape architects BDLA urban planners, Munich
With the Raiffeisengelände residential complex, the municipality of Feldkirchen has succeeded in a special way in creating an integrated residential quarter and a high-quality new urban building block that radiates positively into the neighbourhood.
Award winner: New student and trainee residence dgj 223, Heidelberg
- Client: Collegium Academicum GmbH, Heidelberg
- Architecture: DGJ Architektur GmbH, Frankfurt am Main
- Landscape: GDLA Gornik Denkel landschaftsarchitektur partg mbb, Heidelberg
In a participatory process with the future residents, the Collegium Academicum in Heidelberg has succeeded in creating an innovative timber building for trainees and students that is particularly impressive due to its consistent focus on sustainable, community-orientated and affordable construction.
All other projects are presented on the Website of the Deutschen Bauherrenpreis.
The Deutsche Bauherrenpreis is the most important prize in German residential construction and has been awarded by the three organising associations GdW, BDA and Deutscher Städtetag, which have joined forces to form the AG KOOP, since 1986. In addition to the Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Building, the prize is also sponsored by the bdla Bund Deutscher Landschaftsarchitekt:innen (Association of German Landscape Architects).