Berlin’s city government has announced an affordable and sustainable housing project, consisting of over 5.000 wooden apartments, on the site of the old Tegel airport. The airport was closed permanently at the beginning of November.

Berlin’s wooden haven

The city government of Berlin has announced plans for over 5.000 wooden apartments at the site of the old Tegel airport. The new district, which will be named the Schumacher Quarter, is expected to provide accommodation for around 10.000 residents in Berlin.

The Senator for Urban Development and Housing for the State of Berlin, Sebastian Scheel, has promised that the new housing will be climate neutral and affordable. “From research and development, to material production and construction, everything will take place in one place. This could help urban timber construction achieve a breakthrough," he said, with the aim of making timber housing 25 percent cheaper than traditional concrete builds.

Building for the future

Construction is scheduled to begin in 2024, with Scheel explaining that preparations are still underway. “Contaminated areas and military explosives need to be removed before it starts. The first groundwork is already underway,” he explained. “According to current planning, the education campus and the first residential buildings in the Schumacher Quarter will be ready in 2027, the last ones in the early 2030s.

The project is to be undertaken by Tegel Projekt GmbH, a company that is owned by the city of Berlin. Another residential build is also being planned for the same site, which will see the construction of another 4.000 apartments. This project, named The Urban Tech Republic, will be home to more than 1.000 businesses, with the Tegel Project GmbH aiming to bring entrepreneurs, investors, students and scientists together in one space.

There are also plans to turn Terminal A into a university campus.

Thumbnail: © Tegel Projekt GmbH