The Bavarian Ministry of Construction has announced the launch of the second phase of the 'Gebäudetyp-e' programme. Following an initial focus on residential construction, this round concentrates on buildings for the educational sector, including school and university buildings. The initiative aims to critically scrutinise existing building norms and practices to simplify the construction and operation of buildings, thereby reducing costs without compromising building quality. The 'e' in the programme name stands for 'einfach' (simple) or 'experimentell' (experimental).
Bavarian Minister of Construction Christian Bernreiter emphasised the goal of identifying pragmatic solutions for widespread application. All interested sponsors are invited to submit their projects in the education sector by 30 October 2026. Applications can include new construction projects, refurbishments, or conversions. The ministry is looking for projects that either already have initial designs with needs planning and a space programme that still allow for adaptations for simple construction, or those that have already integrated this approach into their planning.
Bernreiter referred to the experience from the first pilot phase, in which approaches for simpler and more affordable residential construction were examined. A first residential building from this phase has already been completed and proven itself in practice, with further projects to follow in the autumn. The insights gained from this have already led to measures at state level, such as the modernisation laws, the draft of the Bavarian Building Turbo Law, and streamlined social housing funding. The Minister called on the federal government to also enable more flexible regulations in civil law to ensure the broad and legally sound implementation of 'Gebäudetyp-e'.
Educational institutions such as schools, universities, and comparable teaching and training facilities play a central role as places of knowledge transfer, encounter, and personal development. They shape society's understanding of education and contribute to the identity of the built environment. In view of continuously increasing space requirements, comfort standards, and demands for energy efficiency and equipment, which have led to higher construction costs, the aim is now to specifically identify and reduce excessive rules and technical standards in educational construction. This should make construction and operation more efficient and economical. The selected projects are intended to set examples and demonstrate new approaches.
The new pilot projects, similar to the first phase, will be scientifically monitored. The overarching goal is to generate insights that are transferable to other comparable projects and to make the knowledge gained widely accessible. Application documents are available for download on the website www.gebaeudetyp-e.bayern.de. For further information on the application process, interested sponsors can contact Division 27 of the Bavarian State Ministry for Housing, Construction and Transport.
