With the start of construction on a further new-build residential project in Berlin, Deutsche Investment is unlocking additional value-creation potential within existing property portfolios. On a previously underutilised, partially sealed plot in the second inner courtyard in the Mitte district, 54 new flats with a gross floor area of around 5,640 m² are being created through infill development.
With this project development, Deutsche Investment is also reaching an important strategic milestone: for the first time, the company is realising a new-build residential development in Germany as part of a direct mandate for an international institutional investor. The project underlines Deutsche Investment’s ability to support property projects from development through to long-term management.
Hybrid serial construction as a solution for urban project development
The particular challenge of the project lies in its location within a second inner courtyard with limited space for the construction site and transport.
Deutsche Investment has already successfully implemented urban infill projects using timber modular construction. For this particular site, however, this construction method proved less suitable due to the logistical constraints on site. Instead, a project-specific hybrid serial construction method was developed, combining the advantages of industrial prefabrication with the requirements of a new inner-city development.
The project utilises prefabricated bathroom and service modules, as well as wall, façade and balcony elements, which are manufactured under controlled production conditions and assembled on site. This shortens on-site processes whilst reducing transport and site traffic. At the same time, industrial manufacturing improves the quality of workmanship and enhances certainty regarding deadlines and costs.
“Inner-city infill projects often require intelligent solutions, as the structural and logistical conditions vary significantly from site to site. The chosen construction method is the result of this project-specific analysis.”, explains Cigdem Yildirim Klippert, authorised signatory and Director of Project Development at Deutsche Investment Kapitalverwaltung AG.
Resource efficiency through prefabrication and energy-efficient design
The planning of the project focused on an energy-efficient building design and a high degree of prefabrication. By prefabricating key components, numerous work stages are shifted to controlled production environments. This facilitates standardised execution and the efficient organisation of material and logistics processes on site. Plans also include a photovoltaic system, digital building infrastructure, additional covered cycle parking spaces
and a bicycle repair station. Furthermore, the projecting balconies serve as passive sun protection during the summer months.
“Alongside a building’s energy efficiency, resource-efficient construction processes, long-term quality of use and economic stability are crucial for us. With the high degree of prefabrication and the energy concept, we are laying the foundations for a sustainable residential building,” said Cigdem Yildirim Klippert.
A milestone for Deutsche Investment’s project development
With the start of construction, Deutsche Investment is demonstrating its ability to implement challenging inner-city project developments intelligently and cost-effectively, even under complex construction logistics
conditions, whilst meeting institutional investors’ requirements for planning certainty and professional risk management.
“This project marks a milestone for us in several respects. On the one hand, we are once again creating urgently needed housing through infill projects. Secondly, for the first time in Germany, we are carrying out a new-build residential development as part of a direct mandate for an international institutional investor. This confirms the confidence in our ability to develop even challenging sites in a cost-effective manner, whilst maintaining high construction quality and adding value,” summarises Cigdem Yildirim Klippert.
