Sredzki 44 intergenerational housing project – communal living made easy for young and old, Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg

Using funding from the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ), the Berlin-based tenants’ association SelbstBau e.G. has completed a best-practice building and housing project that is communal, age-appropriate and inclusive. In the centre of the Prenzlauer Berg district, one of the remaining unrenovated buildings has been turned into a modern housing complex comprising eleven flats offering space for self-determined living, social participation and contact with people nearby. Several flats have been designed to accommodate people with disabilities and are thus barrier-free. The project also addresses the problem of displacement, because it allows existing residents to remain in their homes at fair and affordable rents. The project’s core component comes in the form of an information and exhibition centre which is open to interested members of the public and also to housing companies, school classes and others wanting to inform themselves about age-appropriate building and housing. As the centre is located inside the building itself, it can also be used as a communal space for residents as well as for neighbourhood events.