Bergedorf: Empty offices are being converted into modern apartments!

Bergedorf: Empty offices are being converted into modern apartments!

Something is happening in Hamburg when it comes to living space design! The Bergedorf Bille building cooperative has presented plans to convert the vacant office space on Bergedorfer Strasse into living space. Given the acute housing shortage in the Hanseatic city, which is one of the five most expensive cities in Germany, this step is both sensible and necessary. Around 850,000 square meters of office space are vacant in Hamburg, while at the same time there is a lack of over 50,000 apartments. This is where the cooperative's creative concepts come into play, as taz reports.

The office building, which was built in 1965, is not to be demolished, but rather preserved and converted. You can imagine cluster apartments with shared rooms, small kitchenettes and private bathrooms in the bedrooms. A total of 32 apartments will be built across a total of eight shared apartments, while the ground floor will remain open for commercial use. There are also plans to add three floors, with attention to sustainable construction. This means that numerous materials are retained and the conversion should minimize CO2 emissions, which takes into account the goal of sustainability, as [Norddeutscher Rundfunk](https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/hamburg/Umnutz-statt-Neubau-In-Hamburg- Werden-Bueros-zu-Wohnraum,wohnraum228.html) highlights.

Sustainability in focus

Conversion projects are very popular. In this context, converting office buildings is considered more environmentally friendly than building new ones because they significantly save CO2 emissions. The concept of “grey matter”, i.e. the reusability of existing building materials, helps to conserve resources. The project in Bergedorf is not the only one of its kind. Another example is the project by the Gröninger Hof cooperative, which plans to convert a former parking garage into 90 apartments, explains Development City.

The target group is diverse: people with disabilities find support through communal living in the new housing models. In order to secure the necessary political support for these projects, the Senate, which wants to create around 10,000 new apartments every year, is requesting help with the approval process. Revisions and approvals for the various conversion projects should be available by the end of 2023.

Challenges in renovation

However, it is not always easy: conversions are often complex and expensive and the statics of office buildings differ fundamentally from those of a typical residential building. But the conversion is a step in the right direction and could help to significantly reduce the lack of living space in Hamburg. Transitional living is already being practiced in office buildings, for example for homeless addicts.

Ultimately, it is important to find solutions together that take both ecological and social needs into account. Conversion into living space is not only a means of combating the housing shortage, but also a path to more sustainable urban development. Let's hope that this and many other projects have a good hand in implementation!