Germany's First Car-Free Eco-Village Breaks Ground in 2026
A new climate-conscious housing project is set to begin construction in Herkenrath by late March or early April 2026. Called the Christian Ecological Housing Project (CÖW), it will create a car-free, nature-integrated 'micro-village' with ten residential modules and one shared community space. After seven and a half years of planning, the initiative has now secured funding and broken ground on the 4,500 m² site below St. Antonius Abbas Church.
The project will house 18 adults and their children across eleven modular units—ten for living and one for shared activities. Future residents include three families with eight children, two couples, and four singles, though two family units remain available. Each home will have a shower bathroom, while the central 'community module' will offer a bathtub, a large kitchen, a laundry room, and a multipurpose hall for gatherings.
Most building components will be prefabricated off-site to cut construction emissions, waste, and disruption to the meadow. The modules will stand on stilts, protecting the soil, preventing flood damage, and minimising surface sealing. Wooden walkways will connect the homes, ensuring accessibility and blending the development into the natural surroundings. Cologne University of Applied Sciences (TH Köln) is overseeing the project through long-term interdisciplinary research. Financial support comes from North Rhine-Westphalia's residential development programme and Germany's Federal Ministry of Housing, alongside backing from Regionale 2025. If construction stays on schedule, residents could move in by the end of 2026.
The CÖW project will serve as a multigenerational, ecological living space with no direct comparison in Germany over the past five years. Its design focuses on sustainability, community, and minimal environmental impact. Once complete, the micro-village will offer an alternative model for shared, climate-conscious housing.
