Construction has begun on Traumhaus Funari, a 2,700 sq m redevelopment of a former US army barracks by Dutch architect MVRDV in Mannheim, southwest Germany.
Traumhaus Funari will be one of five new districts in the redevelopment of the city’s Franklin quarter.
MVRDV is working with prefabricated housing firm Traumhaus on creating variations of its house designs. These will offer residents a choice of materials, sizes and interior layouts.
Traumhaus Funari’s first phase will include 124 single-family homes and 26 apartments.
Winy Maas, MVRDV’s founder, said: "Traumhaus has already shown how a systematic construction approach can increase affordability and accessibility in housing.
"With Traumhaus Funari we want to take the next step, creating a model that retains this affordability while challenging lifestyle expectations. In Funari we are creating something that is more sustainable and more social – a model that can be replicated across Germany and beyond, to the benefit of everyone."
The project is close to another MVRDV barracks redevelopment project, the 1,440,000 sq m Franklin Mitte neighbourhood, which will contain a mixture of housing types and four brightly coloured residential buildings that spell out the word "HOME" in a diagonal line through the development.
Images courtesy of MVRDV/Traumhaus