Berlin Backyard Tower 6x9: Compact Urban Living with Sustainable Design

Located in the heart of Berlin, Germany, the Berlin Backyard Tower 6x9 by architects Max Hacke and Leonhard Clemens is a striking example of innovative urban infill. Completed in 2024, this project transforms a modest 54 m² backyard into a seven-story, 22-meter-high residential tower, creating a prototype for sustainable development in small leftover urban spaces.

Efficient Design in Minimal Space

Built on a compact footprint of 6x9 meters, the tower contains seven apartments, each 38 m², designed as open-plan units. Each apartment includes a bathroom, kitchen-living area, bedroom alcove, and a south-facing balcony, providing generous natural light and views of the quiet, green backyard.

The apartments are crafted to maximize spatial efficiency without compromising comfort or quality. Rather than the standard DIY store kitchen units typically found in Berlin rental apartments, robust stainless steel kitchens were installed. These are modular and adaptable, allowing residents to customize their space cost-effectively while maintaining a fully functional kitchen from the outset.

Innovative Integration with Existing Structures

The project serves as an annex to an adjacent building, creating new opportunities for rooftop development. A sculptural round staircase, clad in delicate fluted corrugated sheet metal, connects the old and new structures and provides access to a communal roof terrace. This terrace not only meets Berlin’s building regulations by offering a second structural escape route but also provides residents with collective outdoor space and sweeping city views.

Sustainable Urban Infill

The Berlin Backyard Tower demonstrates how small urban plots can be leveraged to address ongoing housing shortages. The project combines high architectural quality, compact living, and community-building strategies. By utilizing minimal space efficiently and integrating shared amenities, the tower exemplifies the future of inner-city residential development.

With careful attention to design, regulation, and resident experience, this project sets a new benchmark for sustainable, high-quality urban housing, making the most of Berlin’s patchwork of historical fragments and modern urban strategies.

All photographs are works of  Clemens Wronski