Helmhouse Berlin, Germany housing design

Helmhouse residential building in Berlin

12 June 2026

Architects: TCHOBAN VOSS Architekten

Location: Senefelder Strasse 21, Berlin, Germany

photo © Markus Loeffelhardt

Photos by Yasu Kojima, Markus Loeffelhardt, Jonathan Landgraf

Helmhouse is a modern seven-storey residential building nestled among a historic row of art nouveau and
transitional style buildings in the heart of Berlin’s Prenzlauer Berg district. Its architectural language is recognisably rooted in the 21st century and at the same time a worthy addition to the historic buildings in the neighbourhood. The project fills a gap in the typical Berlin perimeter block development on Senefelder Strasse, not far from Helmholtzplatz, which also gave the project its name.

photo © Yasu Kojima

The U-shaped ensemble is conceptually based on the typical Berlin residential courtyard, consisting of a front building, side wings and a garden house, which enclose a green inner courtyard. This type, which characterises the entire surrounding neighbourhood, is further developed here into a hybrid that maintains tension throughout the depth of the block area, comprising
the widest possible range of apartment types. This spatially interlinked composition of residential types is accompanied by an interior-oriented design that continues to feature the elements of an inner courtyard and rear courtyard, but formulates them in a more intense and individual way than the relatively standardised buildings in the neighbourhood. In the third dimension, a variety of recesses, roof formations and terraces ensure a maximally animated spatial boundary and an outdoor space quality that benefits both all residents as a whole and the flats individually.

photo © Markus Loeffelhardt

The project comprises 21 flats with various living concepts: two three-storey townhouses, barrier-free apartments and medium to large residential units.

photo © Jonathan Landgraf

The ground floor of the front building houses 140 sqm of commercial space. The main entrance on the street side leads to the communal entrance area, while the side wing and garden house are accessible via separate entrances in the inner courtyard.

photo © Jonathan Landgraf

The seven-storey front building has eleven barrier-free flats with two to five rooms. The adjacent seven-storey side wing follows the depth of the property and transitions into the five-storey garden house via a two-step staggered design. The garden house contains the two townhouses, each with 4.5 rooms and floor areas of approximately 167 and 192 sqm. The colossal two-storey windows at the rear emphasise the airy gallery on the first floor. Access is via separate entrances. The interiors of the townhouses were designed by Studio Aisslinger in Berlin.

photo © Yasu Kojima

The communal courtyard is intensively landscaped and offers recreational areas and a small playground. Depending on the type of flat, balconies, loggias, terraces or small private gardens are available. There are roof terraces on the front building and on the garden house, each accessible via internal stairs from the flats below.

Four additional roof terraces are located on the same level as the recessed floors on the side wing, on the street façade and on the garden façade of the rear building.

photo © Yasu Kojima

Construction and façade
The building was constructed using solid reinforced concrete. The flexible floor plans allow for individual adaptation to the needs of the residents. The rear-ventilated street façade with natural stone cladding has a tripartite design and is accentuated by a striking, protruding bay window. A calm colour palette of stone and bronze tones references the historic surroundings and blends seamlessly into the streetscape.

photo © Yasu Kojima

Windows and balconies are framed with fluted natural stone pilaster strips, giving the façade a disciplined, high quality appearance. The floor-to-ceiling windows have dark-stained wooden frames and external awnings for sun protection. The inner courtyard façades are finished in light-coloured mineral plaster.

photo © Yasu Kojima

The lower three floors of the townhouses feature light-coloured plaster façades with natural stone window frames and a natural stone cornice above the first floor. The second floor is set back like a mezzanine. Above it is a three-storey, steeply sloping pitched roof with bronze-coloured sheet metal covering.

photo © Markus Loeffelhardt

The basement houses the cellar rooms and a garage with parking spaces for bicycles and cars, which are equipped for e-mobility.

photo © Markus Loeffelhardt

The building was constructed in accordance with the Federal funding for efficient buildings (BEG) Efficiency House Standard 55 and is supplied with district heating. Rainwater is managed on site as far as possible. The green retention roofs ensure a high transpiration rate. The green courtyards benefit twice: on the one hand, they receive primary irrigation from the cascading retention system. On the other hand, they are supplied by an automatic irrigation system fed by the rainwater retention basin. This is located under the underground car park ramp

photo © Yasu Kojima

Helmhouse residential development in Berlin, Germany – Building Information

Architects: TCHOBAN VOSS Architekten – https://tchobanvoss.de/en

Client: Assoziation Bankum Berta XXII GmbH & Co. KG, Zossen
GFA: 4,568 sqm
Completion: September 2025
Service stages: 1 – 4, key details, artistic supervision
Architects: Sergei Tchoban; Philipp Bauer
Team: Anissa Landgraf
General contractor: RABE-ERO GmbH, Berlin
Project management: INCEPT GmbH, Berlin
Landscaping: KUULA Kusserow und Uphaus Landschaftsarchitekten GbR, Berlin
Structural engineering: Dipl.-Ing. Volkmar Skroblin Ingenieurbuero, Berlin
Building equipment: Protect Bau & Management GmbH, Berlin
Interior design townhouses: Studio Aisslinger GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin

photo © Jonathan Landgraf