Collegium Academicum in Heidelberg is a pioneering, self-managed housing project that offers affordable and sustainable living for students, trainees, and doctoral candidates. Located on the site of the former US Hospital in Heidelberg-Rohrbach, the project emerged from a volunteer-driven initiative started in 2013 and was realized by a committed group of young people who wanted to revive the spirit of a previous Collegium Academicum dormitory that had operated in Heidelberg’s old town until the 1970s.
The residence features an innovative four-storey timber building designed for 176 residents, with flexible, reconfigurable living spaces that prioritize both communal and individual needs. This approach allows residents to adapt apartments and shared areas, fostering a dynamic, participatory community. The project also includes renovated older buildings for additional living and meeting spaces, including social housing and a unique orientation year program that integrates communal living with educational and creative activities.
Supported by local, federal, and international bodies as a model of sustainable architecture and future-oriented urban planning, Collegium Academicum emphasizes ecological construction, energy efficiency, and social inclusion. The use of modular timber elements and traditional carpentry, inspired by Japanese techniques, ensures both environmental responsibility and healthy indoor climates. The project is recognized not just as affordable housing, but also as a living laboratory for innovative ways of urban, community-based living, education, and sustainability.