Studentenwerk SH celebrates laying of foundation stone for dormitory on Flensburg campus

Today, Friday, February 4, 2022, the Studentenwerk Schleswig-Holstein celebrated the laying of the foundation stone for one of its new student dormitories on the university campus in Flensburg. State Secretary for Science Dr. Oliver Grundei and Flensburg's Mayor Simone Lange attended the event as guests of honor.

On Campus 8 - west of the Emmy Hennings House, which opened in 2017 - the new five-story dormitory will grow in height over the next few months. After the basement was already completed last year, the final deep foundation work is currently underway. Erection of the precast concrete walls on the first floor is scheduled to begin this month. The building, which like the Emmy Hennings House was designed by architect Carsten Blad from Steinfeld, is expected to be ready for occupancy in August 2023.

"We are very pleased to now also be able to lay the foundation stone for our third construction project on the Flensburg campus," said Susann Schrader, Managing Director of the Studentenwerk SH, at today's ceremony. In view of the Corona pandemic, she said she was very pleased with the progress of construction. Schrader addressed a special thank you to State Secretary for Science Dr. Oliver Grundei: "The state of Schleswig-Holstein not only provided us with the land, but also subsidized the construction. Thanks to this great support, we will soon be able to offer 159 students a new, affordable home in the middle of campus."

The total cost of the new dormitory, which has a floor area of approximately 1,000 square meters, is around 11.5 million euros and is largely funded by the state of Schleswig-Holstein. Part of the funds comes from a grant to promote student housing, the other part from the Corona emergency package "For Schleswig-Holstein - in the crisis we stand together". From the latter, a total of 15 million euros was made available to the Studentenwerk SH in November 2020 for its statewide new construction projects.

State Secretary for Science Dr. Oliver Grundei said in his welcoming address: "We are pleased as a state that we are able to support and make possible the second construction phase of the Emmy Hennings House through extensive financial aid. The Studentenwerk Schleswig-Holstein has received a total of 15 million euros from the Corona emergency package 'For Schleswig-Holstein - in the crisis we stand together'. It will go toward new buildings like this showcase project. With it, we are taking another step toward creating urgently needed student housing. That's exactly what we set out to do in this legislative period."

Flensburg's mayor Simone Lange: "With the second current new construction of a student dormitory on the university campus, the Studentenwerk is making an important contribution to easing the situation on the Flensburg housing market. From the optimal floor plan design to the choice of materials and the awarding of contracts, the Studentenwerk, as the building owner, is taking care of every detail with great commitment. At this point, a heartfelt thank you on behalf of the city of Flensburg."

Structurally and visually, the new dormitory is based on its little sister, the Emmy Hennings House. Three rectangular structures are connected by two stairwells. In the left and right parts of the building, a maximum of twelve individual apartments, each with its own bathroom, are grouped together to form a total of ten shared apartments with communal kitchens and lounges. In the middle section of the building, five shared apartments will be created, each with eight barrier-free individual apartments including bathrooms and kitchenettes. All apartments are furnished and between 16 and 20 square meters in size.

In addition, the building has an elevator and a laundry and drying room; outside there are 160 bicycle and 19 car parking spaces. The average warm rent is expected to be around 300 euros, including electricity and Internet.

The Studentenwerk SH is currently building another dormitory with 41 bed spaces at Thomas-Fincke-Strasse 7. Completion is scheduled for May 2022. "With our two new buildings on the Flensburg campus, we are sending an important signal against student housing shortages," Schrader said. Currently, only 4.7 percent of Flensburg students benefit from a publicly subsidized place to live - less than in any other university town in Schleswig-Holstein. "The new buildings will improve the ratio. Nevertheless, additional halls of residence must be built in parallel with the continuously rising student numbers. We would like to see 300 additional places in the short term." In order to be able to build dormitories, the Studentenwerk SH is dependent on the city and state providing affordable land close to the campus.