One billion investment

IC plans to invest one billion in microapartments

Microliving offer combined with community concept proves robust during the pandemic

Specia­li­sing in tempo­rary housing concepts for students and young profes­sio­nals, Inter­na­tional Campus­GmbH (IC) plans to invest one billion euros over the next three years in additional micro­a­part­ments under the brands THE FIZZ and HNVS (“havens”).“Students in parti­cular are despera­tely searching for apart­ments every­where. The tremen­dous shortage of supply in Germany can only be remedied if the Studen­ten­werk and the private sector work together. We are interested in plots and existing buildings in class A and B cities, in order to create more living space for the 2.9 million students across Germany”, states Rainer Nonnen­gässer, Chief Execu­tive Officer at IC. The manage­ment team thus has its sights set on projects in major cities like Hamburg and Berlin, smaller cities with popular univer­si­ties are also considered for invest­ments. Apart from Germany, Austria and the Nether­lands are parti­cu­larly attrac­tive target markets, where additional residences with fully furnished micro­a­part­ments are planned and already under construc­tion.

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“Corona-related travel restric­tions and online events at univer­si­ties are currently leaving some student apart­ments vacant. Nonetheless, occup­ancy rates remain high and one thing is also certain: the pandemic will pass. As control over the virus increases, face-to-face courses will also return. We are planning for the long term and firmly believe that the number of national and inter­na­tional students in Germany will continue to rise”, says Nonnen­gässer. Accor­ding to Statista,the number of students increased by 63 percent in the last twenty years.

The company currently develops and operates thirteen student residences under the brand THE FIZZ in Germany, Austria, the Nether­lands and the Czech Republic. Plans for the future include residences for profes­sio­nals under the new brand name HVNS. The company’s main share­holder is the global alter­na­tive asset manager Brook­field.

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Living alone – staying safe and connected throughout the pandemic

Isola­tion and loneli­ness during the pandemic? Not at THE FIZZ. Here, the concept includes more than just private rooms with fully equipped kitchens and bathrooms. The centrally located residences are geared towards communal living and shared experi­ences. They are custom designed and adapted to the local condi­tions. Various commu­nity areas, such as large cooking and dining areas, study and music rooms, movie lounges, roof terraces and — in some cases — gardens provide ample space to socia­lise. A house manage­ment team handles parcel deliveries and repairs, and a security company is entrusted with the protec­tion of the building and its residents.

Since the corona­virus outbreak, hygiene and protec­tion measures have been in place in all the buildings, meaning that the common areas are currently unavailable. Nonetheless: no one is alone at THE FIZZ. A range of online offers tempo­r­a­rily replaces face-to-face meetings. “We are happy to say that our safety measures are effec­tive and that the number of quaran­tine cases has remained low so far”, explains Rainer Nonnen­gässer. He believes that studio apart­ments offer many advan­tages over tradi­tional student flat shares with regard to the risk of infec­tion.

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