KfW Award for Construction and Housing 2015

• Motto: "Intelligent building: modern. efficient. cosy."
• Ten prizes with a total value of EUR 30,000
• Winners from Saxony, Bavaria, Hesse, Baden-Württemberg and Berlin

KfW Group has presented the 13th annual KfW "Bauen und Wohnen" awards in Berlin. It looked for constructors who have built or modernised a house in the last five years in a particularly intelligent way. The ten winners were each awarded a cash prize from the total amount of EUR 30,000 by a panel led by Professor Hans Kollhoff, an architect based in Zurich/Berlin. Out of the ten prize winners, four constructed a new building, three transformed existing agricultural or commercial properties into private residences and three fundamentally modernised already existing residential buildings. Thanks to the sophisticated architecture, the ambitious KfW Efficiency House standards were met in many cases, while also cleverly implementing measures to remove barriers.

"The properties that received the KfW award demonstrate that impressive and intelligent solutions can be found starting from a wide variety of situations. The winners achieved an excellent balance made up of pioneering architecture, harmonious integration in the environment, energy efficiency and accessible housing comfort," said Werner Genter, Senior Vice-President at KfW Group when presenting the awards.

The prize winners:

• First prize (of EUR 10,000):
  Anja Klinger and Holm Sommer made a new construction in a historical barn in Frankenthal (Saxony), thus creating modern housing in a historical setting, while at the same time maintaining the usable area and the remaining space of the barn.
• Second prize (of EUR 6,000):
  Based on her historical windmill assembly, Edeltraut Egger-Rohrmoser added a large, new and modern home for her extended family in Bad Hindelang (Bavaria), which is in harmony with the location and landscape.
• Third prize (of EUR 4,000):
  In Parsdorf (Bavaria), Michael Fochler lovingly converted a disused historical car repair shop, which had previously been run by his great-grandfather, into a highly individual family home, while maintaining the typical shapes of the gates and windows and incorporating many elements from the old workshop.
• Fourth prize (of EUR 3,000):
  By turning a former tramway transformer building into a barrier-free family home, Katja and Manfred John protected existing resources and gave new life to a historical building in a village centre near Kassel (Hesse).
• Fifth prize (of EUR 2,000):
  In Amsham (Bavaria), Ingrid and Stefan Kohlmeier constructed an architecturally sophisticated new building using regional and ecological materials.

The other five prize winners as "honourable mentions" (EUR 1,000 each):

• Intricate timber framing: Dirk and Monika Stefen skilfully reconstructed the interior of a village timbered house in Bretten-Ruit (Baden-Württemberg), in line with modern housing needs and energy standards.
• Renovated apartment building: Margarete Alber, Georg Beck and Rosa Maute thoroughly modernised a house, which now comprises twenty-five apartments right in the heart of Karlsruhe (Baden-Württemberg).
• Revitalised monuments: In line with the regulations for historical monuments, Andrea Anglhuber converted two dilapidated buildings on the market square of Kraiburg (Bavaria) into five modern apartments, an ice-cream parlour, an architect's office and guesthouse.
• Diverse community: The joint building venture SimPlus created thirteen apartments, two offices and a children's daycare centre in an architecturally innovative new building on what had been wasteland in Berlin-Friedrichshain.
• Stylish rear building: Daniel and Tina Seiberts converted a commercial building from the post-war period located in a rear courtyard in Stuttgart (Baden-Württemberg) into two stylish apartments, which can be flexibly combined to form one and separated again.

The panel of experts led by Professor Hans Kollhoff comprises urban planners and energy experts, architects and representatives from the construction and housing sectors, media and KfW. On behalf of the German Federal Government, KfW promotes innovative property development by private owners that aims to improve energy efficiency and reduce barriers in housing. KfW thus helps building owners meet the requirements of modern construction. For information on funding opportunities, visit www.kfw.de or contact us on 0800 539 9002.

Further information on the prize winners and photos from the press are available at www.kfw.de/award. The media partners for the KfW Award 2015 are the news channel n-tv and the daily newspaper Die Welt.