Bremerhaven is creating the future: three new schools on schedule!

Bremerhaven is creating the future: three new schools on schedule!

In Bremerhaven, an exciting development in school building planning is pulling out all the stops. The city has decided to use an innovative construction project for three new schools that is not only efficient but also cost-effective. How buten and within reports, the Hamburger Straße school center will be ceremoniously opened after the summer holidays. In the future, around 700 children and young people will spend their school time here.

The construction manager Kai Hamel is responsible for the three schools under construction: In addition to the Hamburger Straße school center, the New Lehe High School and the New Lehe Elementary School are also being built. “We are well within the time and budget framework,” says Hamel. Overall, the construction costs for the three facilities amount to around 190 million euros. Financing is provided by the municipal housing company (Stäwog), which leases the schools to the city for at least 30 years.

Innovative methods for school construction

What is particularly noteworthy is that this is the first German project within the framework of the “Integrated Project Alliance” (IPA). All trades here – from architects to interior design to technology – have been working hand in hand since the beginning of the planning phase. This goes so far that weekly meetings take place to continuously discuss the construction progress WTM Engineers reported.

In addition to the STÄWOG Group, this interdisciplinary approach also involves numerous partners who work together in a multi-party agreement. “The aim is to achieve the defined project management goals as best as possible,” explain those responsible. Two design variants are always developed for each location and then voted on by a jury. This not only creates transparency, but also generates creative ideas that are incorporated into the planning.

Construction industry on the rise

The construction industry in Germany has had to contend with serious change in recent years. According to experts, the price war around the turn of the millennium was characterized by market shakeouts and company bankruptcies. This has led to a sharp increase in demand for apartments, office space and infrastructure projects, while supply continues to decline. The current project culture is often described as confrontational, as contractors and clients often find themselves in a dilemma between maximizing their own benefits and meeting sustainable construction goals. The challenges of the construction industry are also noticeable in Bremerhaven, especially in the implementation of public projects, where costs and deadlines cannot always be met.

The innovative “project alliance” could now be a step in the right direction to counteract the current challenges and enable more efficient implementation of construction projects. In school construction, the people of Bremerhaven are showing that you can definitely have a good hand when it comes to forward-looking planning and collaboration, with everyone involved being involved from the start. This means Bremerhaven could be one step ahead not only in local political discussions, but also in building innovation.