Growing excellence

This newly developed residential area in the district of Marzahn-Hellersdorf marks a milestone in reaching the city’s goals: Berlin has recognized its need for high-quality, yet affordable housing. Located near the historic “Stadtgut Hellersdorf” a total of 1,500 housing units on 13.5 hectares were recently finished.
 
Part of the development area was the Kastanienallee project, with 450 new apartments of which 135 units were subsidized, designed by Arnold und Gladisch Architekten in partnership with DMSW Architekten.
 
The housing estate is surrounded by public green spaces and playgrounds. The new area focuses on low-emission mobility and public transport, as well as bicycle-friendly infrastructure.

The Kastanienallee project demonstrates how ­afford­able housing can combine cost efficiency, ­architectural quality, and sustainability. The apartment buildings were designed as monolithic brick structures using perlite-filled Poroton blocks. This approach ensures extended renovation cycles while keeping costs manageable. “The goal was, and still is, to create attractive, diverse, and affordable housing,” says Axel Schmidt, Managing Director of Arnold und Gladisch Architects. Poroton blocks are filled with the natural insulating material perlite and deliver outstanding thermal and acoustic insulation, ensuring comfortable, quiet interiors while allowing for a minimized energy demand.
 
The perlite infill optimizes the insulating performance and contributes to long-term cost efficiency through reduced maintenance. “Poroton combines outstanding thermal and acoustic insulation in a single brick,” explains Mathias Gladisch, Managing Director of Arnold und Gladisch Architects. 

Thirteen residential buildings were built as monoliths, constructed entirely with Poroton S9-P in 42.5 cm width, and a setback upper floor made of Poroton S9-P with a 36.5 cm width with integrated insulation. The student’s residence, located at the entrance to the housing quarter, was constructed with a concrete base and ventilated panel façade to stand out visually from the residential buildings.
 
The insulated clay blocks allow slim walls and guarantee a longer renovation cycle while keeping costs within limits. All buildings meet the required KfW55 standard, limiting energy use to no more than 55 % of a comparable reference building. The integrated perlite-filling ensures thermal insulation values of 0.224 W/m2K.
 
“The project is a good example of how clay brick construction can be realized in subsidized housing even with a limited budget – and still result in a solution that is convincing both in design and quality,” say the architects at Arnold und Gladisch Architekten.