The former Augustinian monastery complex still adds charm to Weyarn, which has retained its original village atmosphere. Located nearly 40 kilometers from Munich, the Klosteranger development is in its final phase after eight years in construction: once the last two duplex houses and four townhouses with 22 residential units have been built, the development totaling 153 residential units will be complete. The new units, which will be ready for occupation by 2021, are on the northern section of the site. A concept designed by LBGO Architekten from Munich and already tried and tested in this development is being used for the townhouses: different combinations of studio, gallery and loft houses tailored to the individual buildings. Dr. Max von Bredow, CEO of Quest AG, commented: ‘Here we have a special symbiotic relationship between old and new. With the new residential units and the extremely well developed infrastructure, we are making living in the countryside appealing again.’
Lean Construction Sets the Rhythm
Now that the last residential units are nearing completion, the challenge in the last construction phase is that building is no longer taking place in the open countryside, and space is limited by the houses already built. Drees & Sommer is using the lean construction method of management to ensure that the last phase can be implemented efficiently, quickly and reliably. Lean principles first used in the automobile industry are being applied to the construction project to time processes precisely to the day, and to encourage communication between the different trade contractors. The employees, machines and construction materials needed were clearly defined in the planning stage, along with their timings and locations, so that the individual trade contractors were able to work hand in hand. Josef Scharnagl, Project Partner at Drees & Sommer, explained: ‘The construction site is controlled by means of a planning board with time cards.
This makes it clear which trade contractor is doing what work and where. This enables us to save time and reduce costs, optimize processes, and avoid mistakes.’
In Harmony with Nature
Nature plays an important role in the development. The center of the village of Weyarn has many green spaces and is only accessible to pedestrians and bicyclists. The green areas extend to the green roof of the supermarket, which particularly helps it to blend into the surroundings. All of the houses have a garden and are built using sustainable construction methods: the façade elements are made of wood, and high-quality natural materials are used in the interior design. The heating is also operated through an environmentally-friendly, intelligently controlled local heating network. This involved connecting all of the buildings to the municipality’s wood chip-fired power plant, for which only wood waste resulting from sustainable timber harvesting is used.