Company Announcements

Prefabricated – sustainable – modular –
Vonovia modernises 74 apartments in Garmisch-Partenkirchen
 

• Prefabricated timber elements made from eco-friendly wood.
• Extremely energy efficient and carbon neutral.
• Collaboration with a local partner.

Bochum / Garmisch-Partenkirchen, 1 October 2025 – Using a modular approach, Vonovia has started modernising 74 apartments in the Upper Bavarian town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The 13 buildings, all dating from 1975, are currently rated in energy efficiency classes F to G. After modernisation, they will be upgraded to class A.

Yesterday, Vonovia CEO Rolf Buch, Bavarian Housing Minister Christian Bernreiter and Claudia Zolk, Deputy Mayor of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, were given a tour of the project at the Vonovia residential complex on Steigfeldstrasse in the Burgrain district.

“By using sustainable building materials and a high degree of prefabrication, we can accelerate the modernisation process. This efficient modular approach is a highly effective tool for meeting our ambitious climate targets,” says Rolf Buch. “It enables us to drive a sustainable and efficient energy transition in our existing building stock, while keeping rents affordable for our tenants.”

In renewing the buildings, Vonovia primarily uses prefabricated, insulated timber modules, fitted on site to the walls like tailor-made suits. Key elements of the project’s sustainability are the use of renewable materials and collaboration with local partners.

“This project shows how innovative solutions can drive the energy transition in existing residential areas. Working with local partners and using regional materials is another key element in achieving long-term sustainability,” says Christian Bernreiter.

Modular prefabrication means that construction work in the residential area will be completed far more quickly than in a conventional modernisation project. Triple-glazed windows and new doors are also being installed. The windows feature integrated indoor ventilation with heat recovery, helping to save energy. The indoor environment is further enhanced with the use of integrated blinds and sun protection glazing, and a photovoltaic system is being installed on the roof to generate green electricity.

Work on three of the five construction sections, each comprising around 930 sqm of residential floor space, is already well under way. Fitting the prefabricated elements for each section of the building took just two days. The prefabricated timber elements are produced and installed by the Allgäu-based company Baufritz. In selecting materials, the company uses locally sourced wood and avoids chemical insulation and additives, thereby meeting the highest standard for sustainable building materials.

Due to the specific weather conditions of the Alpine foothills – with very low temperatures in winter – any existing gas heaters are being replaced with carbon-neutral wood pellet heating systems. The wood pellets are also locally sourced, and there is no need to replace existing radiators in the apartments. Thanks to the excellent energy standard of the modernised buildings, they require significantly less energy for heating.

 

Caption: 

(from left): Claudia Zolk, Deputy Mayor of Garmisch-Partenkirchen; Rolf Buch, CEO of Vonovia; Christian Bernreiter, Bavarian State Minister for Housing, Construction and Transport; and Dagmar Fritz-Kramer, Managing Director of Baufritz, visit the serial modernization in Garmisch.
Andreas Schebesta / Vonovia  
APPROVED FOR EDITORIAL USE

Vonovia SE is Europe’s leading private residential real estate company. With 533,000 residential units in Germany, Sweden and Austria, the focus is on the development and rental of modern and energy-efficient housing. Vonovia focuses on sustainability as the core of its growth policy and offers tenants a home with a high quality of living and excellent service. As part of its 2028 growth strategy, Vonovia will strengthen its Value-add, Development, and Recurring Sales segments, promote innovative technologies with a focus on serial modernization, modular new construction, and modern heating infrastructure, and offer its scalable model to the market.

The Bochum based company has been listed on the stock exchange since 2013. Since September 2015 Vonovia has been a constituent in the DAX. Vonovia SE is also a constituent of additional national and international indices, including DAX 50 ESG, Dow Jones Best-in-Class Europe Index, STOXX Global ESG Leaders, EURO STOXX ESG Leaders 50, FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Developed Europe, and GPR 250 World. Vonovia has a workforce of approximately 12,400 employees.