Jena, October 02, 2026 – The city of Jena is utilizing the statutory ‘Bauturbo’ (construction turbo) for the first time to rapidly convert planned commercial space into urgently needed housing. The project concerns the new company headquarters of dotSource Campus in the area of Saalbahnhofstraße.
- Event: First application of the ‘Bauturbo’ in Jena
- Project: dotSource Campus (Saalbahnhofstraße)
- Change: Conversion of office space into 48 new apartments
- Resolution: Jena City Council (September 30, 2026)
The City Council officially initiated the corresponding procedure on September 30, 2026, with the resolution of the second amendment to the implementation contract. The visual planning was designed in collaboration with HKS Architekten GmbH.
Home office changes space requirements in Jena
The trigger for the replanning is fundamental change in the modern working world. Due to the establishment of home office and mobile working models, the stationary demand for office workstations has noticeably declined. This development is also reflected in current analyses, which show a declining space turnover in the local office market in Jena.
Originally, around 2,000 square meters for up to 200 workstations were planned for the fourth and fifth floors of the base building. In total, the entire office section of the campus was intended to provide space for around 850 employees. Due to the now decided reduction, the investor expects a maximum of 650 workstations in the future.
Rededication on the fourth and fifth floors
The capacities freed up by the changed working conditions are now being rededicated. According to the plan, 48 new residential units will be built on the affected floors of the base building. In doing so, the municipality is reacting flexibly to the persistent shortage of housing and demonstrating that commercial construction projects can be adapted to actual needs through modern planning instruments.
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Guide: Modern Working and Home Office
Background and tips on the transformation of the modern working world.
Background: What does the ‘Bauturbo’ mean?
The term ‘Bauturbo’ describes legal simplifications and acceleration instruments in the German Building Code (BauGB) (including Section 246e BauGB), which are intended to give municipalities more flexibility in the subsequent use and densification of existing areas. The goal is to shorten lengthy planning procedures in order to create building rights for urgently needed housing more quickly, especially in strained housing markets, without having to go through lengthy development plan amendments.
Source:
Jena uses the ‘Bauturbo’ for the first time: 48 new apartments in the dotSource Campus
Transparency note: This article was created automatically, editorially reviewed, and expanded with AI support.