ESA student dormitory Kaiserslautern

67659 Kaiserslautern: ESA (Energy Saving Student Residence): planned and built with students, "house in a house" principle (based on Bengt Warn's "Naturhuset"), 20 rooms a kitchen and other common rooms, varied planting of the winter garden, recycled building materials, solar system for hot water, each room also has a private terrace or seating area in the greenhouse. Completion: 1986

Name: ESA (Energy Saving Architecture)
realized as a project by architecture students of the University of Kaiserslautern with a lot of own contribution

Design: house-in-house principle

Size: 20 rooms, rooms: 17-29 m² partly furnished, shared kitchens and showers

Background
In 1981, the Ministry of Education of Rhineland-Palatinate suggested the "student self-build" with reference to the Stuttgart projects "Bauhäusle" and "Hohenheim„. The departments of architecture, civil engineering, and spatial and environmental planning of the University of Kaiserslautern were involved. The implementation planning and construction supervision was placed in professional hands close to the research ("Bauen - Forschen - Partner": Heinrich Eissler and Wolf Hoffman). The Studentenwerk acted as the building owner. The student residence was built between 1982 (preliminary design) and 1987 (public acceptance).

New development
The ESA was listed in 2019 and the Foundation of the TU Kaiserslautern took over the rental of the special student dormitory. It should and will be renovated, repaired and optimized. The goal is to be able to operate the house CO2 neutral after the renovation and also to make other aspects, such as water supply and disposal, more sustainable.

Then as now, the residents and students played an active role. They have campaigned for the house to be preserved and have developed a vision for the future. On September 13, 2020, they launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise part of the funds:
www.startnext.com/ein-haus-im-gruenen

Photo gallery 1997

View all 17 photos >>

Sustainability measures

Ecology
Passive use of solar energy. Living with plants. Further measures due to partial summer overheating would be desirable and should be considered in the modernization.

Costs
Monthly rent: 211 - 245 € including all utilities (as of 2014)

Socio-culture
Common room with gallery and kitchen on two levels, shared laundry room and bicycle storage, each room has at least a small open space area assigned to the room, which is also suitable for planting herbs or vegetables and is planted by the residents themselves. Barbecue area, table tennis/table football.

Special features
House cat, gardens, biggest flat-sharing community in Lautern, self-governing dormitory.
Since 2019 under monument protection

Conclusion
Assessment of the concept from today's perspective: The Studentenwerk is still the operator of the dormitory and still has no difficulties renting out the rooms. Different experiences have been made with the residents; in part they have been very involved in the maintenance of the greenery, in part not at all. This is an incalculable item for the Student Union. Deficiencies due to the amateurish do-it-yourself performance of the students are another nuisance. Basically, the "building experiment" is described as successful and most students appreciate the communal living atmosphere in the ESA.

Literature
Heinrich Eissler, Wolf Hoffmann (1988): Wohnbiotop. Energy-saving student housing.

Links
Website of the ESA residents:
http://esa.wohnheim.uni-kl.de
Facebook page of the ESA with great impressions from the ESA everyday life:
www.facebook.com/esakaiserslautern
March 9, 2020: "Residence Hall Gets an Upgrade" for which 700,000 Euros in funding will be raised and will be operated by a foundation of the TU Kaiserslautern in the future: www.rheinpfalz.de/...wohnheim-im-wald-vor-abriss-gerettet
June 15, 2019: Esa building placed under monument protection