Cubity by TU Darmstadt

Cubity, developed by Darmstadt University of Technology, is the first energy-plus student housing in the world, offering individual living space with a footprint of just 16 x 16 metres. Duravit supports this innovative project as a forward-looking approach to sustainable living.

The construction of the energy-plus house is based on the “village-within-a-house” concept, as shared functions predominate when students live together. Six two-storey cubes, each composed of two independent living units, are arranged around a central common area, the “marketplace”. In addition to the marketplace, residents have a common cooking area, gallery and terrace. They are adapted to typical student activities. All the cubes offer an individual place of retreat and focus on private functions, such as sleeping, working and personal hygiene. Duravit products from the Happy D.2 and Darling New series are the ideal complement to Cubity’s young, experimental residential concept. Washbasins and compact WCs add extra convenience without taking up too much space. On a floor area of just 7.2 m² the specially designed fitted furniture, which provides a bed, cupboard, table, chair, lighting, electrical supply and storage space, offers the greatest flexibility in a small space.


The upper storey is reached by a single staircase with a gallery offering access to the individual cubes. Each cube also has a private entrance area. The entire building is structured in several climatic layers. It uses a reversible air-to-water heat pump to heat or cool the interior. The drinking water is preheated by a hot water storage unit. The heat pump is powered primarily by solar panels on the roof. An underfloor heating and cooling system ensures a balanced temperature throughout the year in the marketplace, which is designed as an intermediate climate zone.