Narrow streets, a lively square amidst the murmur of voices from at least 10 different languages and dialects, a ray of sunshine stealing through the canopy of large deciduous trees onto the café table. You almost feel like you're on holiday in Italy as you enjoy your cappuccino from Luigi on a beautiful July day, but this isn't Italy, this is Karlsruhe's Südstadt. The former working-class neighbourhood is now Karlsruhe's cult district. Südstadt has a charm all of its own and is synonymous with multiculturalism, a lack of parking spaces, Mediterranean flair and perimeter block development.

In order to counteract the housing shortage, a backyard development is planned in Südstadt, which will provide several socially acceptable micro-apartments of 36 and 50 square metres - flats for students, single people, single parents or couples. Due to the very narrow layout of the plot, two staircases are required in order to realise the small floor plans.
Despite the utilisation of space, each flat is lit from two sides - 5 of the 7 flats have barrier-free access.
In order to be able to let the flats at a favourable price, there is no need for a cost-intensive basement. Car parking spaces, cellars and technical rooms are located on the ground floor. The residential building is designed as a sustainable timber construction so that the building can be erected in a very short time in the narrow southern part of the city. Prefabricated modules mean that the construction time on site and, above all, the crane positioning time can be extremely reduced, which is more than necessary in the cramped southern part of the city. The boundaries and building lines of the neighbours are taken into account so that the new building blends in with its surroundings. A large communal roof terrace offers future residents a high-quality outdoor area.