GARBE Urban Real Estate Germany is setting a significant milestone and is realising its first large-volume rental apartment project in Cologne-Raderthal using serial timber hybrid construction. On a plot of almost 5,600 m², the Marienhof residential quarter is being built with around 200 rental apartments, about a third of which are publicly subsidized. Construction is scheduled to start in summer 2026, with completion scheduled for less than two years.
The Marienhof will be consistently geared to the needs of the tenants and the surrounding neighbourhood: modern, efficient, digital and sustainable apartments will be built on a good 11,500 m² of rental space, supplemented by communal offers such as an urban gardening area on the roof, a pavilion, a rehearsal room, a bicycle workshop and extensive digital services.
“Within a comparatively short construction phase, we can quickly realize living space and implement a high quality standard. Our goal is to develop a housing offer that brings people together and creates real added value in everyday life,” says Ivo Gotsche, head of the NRW location in Cologne.
Timber hybrid and serial construction – quality, precision and sustainability
In Cologne, GARBE Urban Real Estate Germany combines timber hybrid construction, serial construction and high quality in planning, implementation and use. The high degree of prefabrication shortens construction time, reduces construction site emissions, creates reliable cost structures and at the same time enables robust architectural quality. GARBE has a long tradition in timber construction: These include the Treptower twins in Berlin, the award-winning wooden high-rise ROOTS in Hamburg’s HafenCity and the current development of the largest logistics centre in Europe in all-timber construction in Straubing.
“The development of the Marienhof is the prelude to our Europe-wide expansion in the “Beds” segment. We want to implement similar projects throughout Germany and, in the future, throughout Europe,” says Christoph Reschke, Managing Director of GARBE Urban Real Estate Germany. “Serial ESG-compliant living, institutional housing products, sustainable asset and property management are the focus of our pan-European “Beds” strategy.
