Prefabricated building renovation: Tenants are freezing, but the future is bright!

Prefabricated building renovation: Tenants are freezing, but the future is bright!

In Hohenstücken, tenants face major challenges. The housing association WBG is currently renovating a prefabricated building on Friedrich-Grasow-Straße, which means that the residents have to make do without heating and water. The temperatures in the apartments drop to an uncomfortable 16 degrees, which significantly affects the quality of life. In order to meet at least basic hygiene needs, the WBG has provided shower cubicles in the courtyard. An additional downer: The promised replacement heaters failed to materialize due to illness. The WBG apologized for the inconvenience and is in contact with those affected to improve the situation.

Also in the region, a residential and commercial building at Hauptstrasse 15, Brandenburg an der Havel, is being offered for sale. This property has a colorful history, having once been a costume rental shop run by Roswitha Seidel, a well-known figure in the area. The building is in serious need of renovation and if no buyer is found, there is the possibility of renting out the ground floor retail space.

Innovative renovation concepts

Parallel to what is happening in Hohenstücken, there are interesting developments in the area of ​​prefabricated building renovation in Ludwigsfelde. Here one of the first WBS 70 prefabricated buildings in Germany is being serially renovated. This project could serve as a model for the renovation of other prefabricated buildings in Germany and Eastern Europe. The building block on Albert-Schweitzer-Straße is an impressive 102 meters long and five storeys high. 228 prefabricated wooden facade elements are used, equipped with thermal insulation, triple-glazed windows and a modern fiber cement surface.

The renovation work, which will last until April 2025, is carried out on the condition that the 82 tenants can remain in their apartments for the entire duration. The municipal housing company “Märkische Heimat” is investing around 6.7 million euros in this pioneering project. Interestingly, the building is currently connected to the public district heating network, which currently relies on fossil fuels. However, the installation of an 82 kWp photovoltaic system paves the way to a more sustainable future: This generates 17.9 kWh of green electricity per square meter of living space and feeds the excess electricity into the public grid. The aim is to reduce CO2 emissions from district heating by 50 percent.

Regional focus on culture and leisure

Creative initiatives also enrich local life. Alena Kalinina offers balloon decoration for celebrations and creates special moments with her creations made from biodegradable natural latex balloons. She draws her inspiration from her roots in Ukraine and Russia. In addition, the House of Encounters is under new management: Tanja Wichert plans to expand the offering with new projects, courses and exhibitions - including an exhibition by the painter Clark Yao. These changes are aimed at offering attractive offers to working people and promoting networking with existing cultural and educational institutions.

Furthermore, an Arabic snack bar called “Culture at Racha and Roger” in Bad Belzig is moving to new premises that were previously used by a Lila baker. Food, drinks and a cabaret are planned, with an opening in June, although work is still being carried out on site. The closure of the current store offered the opportunity for this new beginning.

The developments in Hohenstücken and Ludwigsfelde show that both the renovation of living space and the shaping of cultural life in the region are of great importance. The projects make it clear that progress is not only being made in the renovation of existing buildings, but also in strengthening community life.