SAGA’s Lohbrügge Efficiency House: A New Approach to Affordable Housing in hamburg
Hamburg faces a critically important challenge: high demand for housing coupled with escalating construction costs, making new developments financially prohibitive. In response, the city’s housing company, SAGA, is pioneering a new approach with a pilot project in the Lohbrügge district – an “efficiency house” designed to dramatically reduce building expenses.
Currently under construction, this innovative building aims to achieve a construction cost of approximately €3,600 per square meter, a figure considerably lower than the average for new builds in Hamburg. This cost reduction is being realized through several strategic design choices. Notably, the project foregoes traditional basements and individual animal garages, both of which contribute substantially to overall construction expenses.
Further optimizing costs, the building’s design incorporates five apartments per floor, minimizing the necessary stairwell space and associated construction materials. SAGA’s initiative represents a potentially transformative strategy for addressing the city’s housing shortage by demonstrating the feasibility of affordable, high-density residential advancement. The project will be closely monitored to assess its success and potential for replication across Hamburg and beyond.
Worth a look