GROPYUS to build Landmarken’s first timber residential project in Aachen
Berlin / Aachen, October 5, 2026 – GROPYUS is building a residential project for Landmarken Group on the former Hutchinson site in Aachen. The project will comprise 120 to 150 apartments with a gross floor area of approximately 14,200 square meters. Half of the residential space in the mixed-use development will be publicly subsidized. This will be Landmarken’s first residential project to be delivered using timber construction.
Above all, the project demonstrates how industrialized construction can meet demanding urban design requirements. The GROPYUS approach combines customized building configurations, non-orthogonal floor plans, and highly efficient land use with standardized design and manufacturing processes. This makes it possible to respond precisely to the characteristics of the site while maintaining the efficiencies of industrialized production.
The plans include approximately 50 larger apartments for families and up to 100 one- and two-bedroom apartments. The units are being designed with sufficient flexibility to allow them to be combined into three-bedroom apartments later in the planning process if needed. “It is highly unusual for a timber construction project of this kind to include approximately 50 percent publicly subsidized housing as well as extensive social infrastructure,” says Landmarken Project Manager Ingo Grube. In addition to affordable housing for families and other groups, the social infrastructure will include an adult day care center for seniors operated by AWO and a community service office for the entire neighborhood.
Philipp Erler, CEO of GROPYUS: “Together with Landmarken, we are delivering an exceptionally diverse residential project in Aachen using industrialized timber construction. The project will demonstrate that publicly subsidized housing can be built efficiently and at scale. Our approach digitally integrates design, manufacturing, and assembly, creating reliable processes and enabling cost-effective delivery without compromising quality.”
The former factory site is located in Rothe Erde, a district shaped by its industrial heritage. On land once used to manufacture rubber seals for the automotive industry, Landmarken Group is developing a mixed-use neighborhood based on an urban design by Cologne architect Pablo Molestina. Commercial spaces and sustainable facilities for urban production will transition into residential areas that connect with the existing neighborhoods along Zeppelinstraße and Freunder Weg. Sports facilities will complement the neighborhood concept. Construction is scheduled to begin in late 2027.