Haus 2+

Fully clad in bright red wood, the three-storied addition Haus 2+ marks the main entrance to Holzmarkt 25, a cooperative cultural quarter in downtown Berlin. The progressive design and commitment to sustainability set a clear statement amidst the seemingly improvised patchwork of buildings. The complex and curvy shape comprises simple geometric volumes that offer individual room layouts for its diverse tenants: the 240 square meters are shared by a bakery, a tattoo studio, a booking agency, an artist, a photo studio, and a physiotherapist. For maximum space and resource efficiency, Haus 2+ uses what was available on site: Like a ‘friendly parasite,’ the addition shares the exterior stairwell of the neighboring concert hall, eliminating the need for its own CO2-intensive circulation space. It uses an existing basement as a floor slab and the district heating station inside as the main energy source. Its roof terrace integrates with Holzmarkt’s sequence of open arcades, bridges, and balconies. Haus 2+ combines three timber construction systems. Exterior walls are made with timber frames, internal walls are made from mass timber, and floor slabs use timber box elements, all clad with a larch façade. Regionally prefabricated and screwed instead of glued, all components can be disassembled, segregated, and reused with little effort.