Domus IN 201903

The serial-building typology

complements the existing housing

with new flexible and barrier-free

floor plans. The apartment sizes

range from a one-room apartment

of 30 square metres to a six-room

apartment of 138 square metres.

Multiplicity and customisation

of the apartment configurations

ensure each site is able to offer an

individual proposal to different

user groups. All the apartments

are barrier-free and two apartment

typologies are fully accessible

on wheelchair.

Timber modular system

The Bremen-Cubes are a modular

construction system conceived

and made up of predominantly

prefabricated building elements.

This type of construction system

allows the realisation of differing

floor plans in terms of size and

organisation. The standardised

system is suited to the erection

of the building in the shortest

possible time and with minimal

construction site organisation

and disturbance. The load-bearing

outer wall elements feature a

timber-frame system. The floor

elements are in reinforced concrete

or optimised Timber-Concrete

Composite (TCC). The circulation

areas are in reinforced concrete

which strengthens the building’s

horizontal loads and they serve

as the primary escape route.

This can be designed with either

an inner core or an open circulation

balcony core.

Sustainability

Timber construction materials are

renewable and environmentally

friendly, with considerably low

“grey energy” consumption. In

comparison to commonly used

commercial construction methods,

considerably less “grey energy”

is consumed in the complete life-

cycle process of timber: from

raw material to material waste

Previous spread: views of the first

prototype created in the southern

area of Bremen. The first two housing

units were completed in October 2016,

the third in January 2017, while

another four are under construction.

This spread: phases of the building’s

assembly in situ (opposite page); and a

Photos © GEWOBA

timeline of the entire assembly

process lasting just 28 days (above).

The Bremen-Cubes (or Bremer Punkt)

are arranged inside small plots

(with a footprint of 13.35 x 13.35 m)

made in the extensive free areas

of post-war residential complexes

Giorno/Day 1 Giorno/Day 2 Giorno/Day 12 Giorno/Day 17

Day 18 Day 21 Day 24 Day 28