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Heidelberg and its Bahnstadt - International Hotspot für Science and Research

Initital experience - Heidelberg Bahnstadt and its Passive House Standards 

Bahnstadt Heidelberg (Foto: Buck)

The Bahnstadt Campus

Living, researching and relaxing

One of Germany's biggest urban development projects. Just a few minutes' walk from Heidelberg central station, a new district – Bahnstadt – is emerging. All of the buildings in this new science quarter will comply with strict passive-house building standards. 12,000 people will live and work on research or other jobs there, and its centerpiece will be SkyLabs – a building housing 19,000 m² of office and laboratory space for scientific and high-tech companies. There will also be enough apartment buildings to accommodate 5,000 residents as well as shops, two state-run nurseries, an elementary school, play areas, green spaces, and a cinema. In other words, the area will be used for a wide variety of purposes – a concept that has proven very effective in the historic centers of Europe’s university towns over the centuries.

An urban format with a bright future. Bahnstadt is a model of sustainable urban construction. More and more companies are looking for city-center locations where their employees can both work and relax. "We realized we could use this site to create one of the most dynamic environments for collaborative scientific research anywhere in Europe – a real hotbed of discovery and innovation," explains American businessman Dr. Henry Jarecki, who has maintained friendly links with Heidelberg for many decades and, through his Max Jarecki Foundation, has provided 60 million euros of funding for the construction of SkyLabs.

Heidelberg is growing. At 116 hectares, the Bahnstadt covers a bigger area than Heidelberg's Altstadt (Old Town). According to estimates, around 2 billion euros will be invested in the new district. The project is partnered by Entwicklungsgesellschaft Heidelberg (EGH), which is responsible for developing and marketing most of the site.