ZusammenLeben Im Blütengarten – Living together in the Blossom Garden
Less space creating more quality of living
In the midst of a housing estate for single-family homes in Backnang, a group of timber construction multi-family homes are being developed on the site of a former garden centre. Private residential areas that are reduced in size are grouped around generously dimensioned spaces for communal living, thus enhancing the neighbourhood.
The residents have become accustomed to the cube-shaped wooden building of the Midwifery Centre, at the south-eastern edge of Backnang. Soon, four new timber-clad buildings will now be added to the established meadow site. Where glasshouses once stood, dedicated private-sector investors are working together with experts to develop compact, three-storey residential buildings built using straw bale insulated wooden frame construction. Various apartments in multi-storey blocks built using local sustainable materials in a simple and space-saving design will be located on both sides of a glass-covered, central ‘village street’ running through the new neighbourhood. While various floor plan types – from small two-bedroom apartments to split-level apartments for families and a cluster flat share – allow for sufficient space for living, the connecting arcade walkway is a place where tenants can encounter each other on a day-to-day basis to meet and chat. Three small unassigned ‘Wildcard Houses’, the first of which was created during a DIY workshop back in 2023 as part of the first IBA’27 festival, offer additional space and can be used individually by arrangement. These can be used as a place for guests to stay, a garden workshop, library or workspace, providing a lived example of simple and resource-saving construction. The performance of the materials used on an everyday basis will be evaluated once the buildings are occupied in order to draw conclusions for future projects.
Facts and Figures
| Place | Backnang |
| Site | 3,200 sqm |
| + | space for 35 to 40 residents and 4 to 12 workers |
| Project start | IBA’27 Project since 2024 |
| Timeline | Development of residential construction for redensification with plus bauplanung, Neckartenzlingen 2022 IBA’27 Network proposal 2023 DIY workshop for the IBA festival 2024 Included as IBA’27 Project 2025 Construction Site Event for the IBA festival 2026 Planned completion and moving in 2027 Evaluation |
| Project initiator | Private sector |
Contact
Project initiator
Caroline Hafner-Pinnel und Thomas Pinnel
in co-operation with
plus bauplanung GmbH
Lukas Brenner
Goethestraße 44
72654 Neckartenzlingen
l.brenner@plusbauplanung.de
