Eckernförde’s Municipal School for Civil Engineers, founded in 1868, closed down after the Winter Semester 2007/8, was the oldest of its kind in Germany. With several hundred students, it was widely recognized and approved for civil engineers and architects. From 1969, it had been integrated with the advanced technical college of Kiel for construction engineering and planning.
After the original building in the old part of the town became too small, a new campus had been built at the end of the fifties in the Lorenz-von-Stein Ring. During the 1990s, a new Student Hall of Residence, built on to the older residence, afforded students economical accommodation on a flat share basis.
Project data
Place: Bürgermeister-Jahn-Weg 18 24340 Eckernförde Builder: Studentenwerk Schleswig-Holstein, Westring 385, 24118 Kiel Planning: 1996 Construction time: 1996 – 1997 Costs: 1.800.000 € Total Area: 1.270 m2 Photograph: Bernadette Grimmenstein
Flat Share Accommodation with Inspirational Atmosphere for Study
From the point of view of urban development, the new building was a link between the high architectural standards of the school itself, and the terraced housing in the area. From the central entrance lobby and general common room on the ground floor, four appartments on each upper floor were constructed, each accommodating five students on a flat share basis. Fourteen units in total, each of approximately 92m², ensued, with two bathrooms and a kitchen per unit. Every room was fitted with its own balcony.
Plenty of space, required for students’ drawing boards was planned in the upper storeys, where two 55m² rooms for drawing were installed. Thus, in the student residence hall, not only living quarters were intended, but also an inspirational working atmosphere.
Conversion to a Domestic Urban Project Spanning Several Generations
The building is unique, due to intelligent and sophisticated details, as well as the high quality, durable building materials. The façade is of yellow brickwork, typical for the region and a green roof completes the picture. Large windows adorn the living quarters and there is plenty of light access to the drawing rooms.
Following the closure of the Eckernförde school and its removal to Lübeck, a hall of residence was no longer required as such, and was sold off privately. The building, converted into a living accommodation project, spanning several generations, became known as Ecodomo. The former student accommodation was adapted into living units, which also made use of the general common rooms for social communication between the new residents.