Primus Developments

What Primus Developments does

PRIMUS developments GmbH is a Hamburg-headquartered project developer founded in 1999 by Achim Nagel, specializing in sustainable timber and timber-hybrid modular construction. The company develops, plans, and constructs residential, commercial, and public buildings across Germany, with regional offices in Berlin and Düsseldorf and a realized cumulative project volume of approximately €1.2 billion across more than 15 completed projects. Its core technology is industrial prefabrication of solid wood (Massivholz) modules combined with cast-in-situ concrete ground floors and stairwells, achieving 80-85% off-site fit-out completion in dedicated manufacturing facilities operated by its strategic partner Kaufmann Bausysteme. Signature projects include the WOODIE student housing complex in Hamburg (371 units, the world's largest timber module building at completion in 2016), LUISE in Berlin's government quarter for the German Bundestag (460 modules, 17,000 m² BGF, delivered in 18 months), and the Zollhochschule Rostock (Europe's largest timber module construction project at ~55,000 m² with 1,000+ modules, handed over 2026).

The company's revenue model rests on three streams: project development and construction services for public-sector clients secured through competitive tendering (BBR, BImA, Bundestag, Bundespräsidialamt); privately financed residential and commercial development sold to individual buyers, housing associations, and investors; and a hybrid model (e.g., WILLIE under Hamburg-Standard) combining public land allocation with private financing for affordable housing. Differentiation is anchored in the proprietary WOODCYCLE reforestation concept (committing to regrow all timber used), digital resource passports (Materialpässe) via the Madaster platform enabling buildings as material banks, deep sustainability credentials (DGNB Gold, HafenCity Gold), and recurring collaborations with premier architectural firms (Sauerbruch Hutton, gmp, Eike Becker Architekten). The firm is family-owned and led by Managing Directors Achim Nagel and Lorenz Nagel, with a wholly-owned operating subsidiary (Prime Site Development).

Name

Primus Developments

Legal name

PRIMUS developments GmbH

Website

https://primus-developments.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

PRIMUS developments GmbH is a Hamburg-based project developer founded in 1999 that specializes in sustainable timber and timber-hybrid modular construction of residential, commercial, and public buildings across Germany, serving federal government agencies, educational institutions, municipalities, and private buyers with a cumulative realized project volume of approximately €1.2 billion.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Real Estate Development

NAICS

Prefabricated Wood Building Manufacturing (321992), New Housing For-Sale Builders (236117), Land Subdivision (23721)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Residential Bldgs (1520), Prefabricated Wood Bldgs & Components (2452), Land Subdividers & Developers (No Cemeteries) (6552)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYIMAFABAF

Residential Modular & Prefabricated Home Construction

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Construction & Civil Engineering/Residential Building Construction

SECONDARYIMAFAAAD

Design-Build / EPC General Contracting

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Construction & Civil Engineering/General Contracting & Construction Management

SECONDARYIMAFAAAB

Residential General Contracting (New Build)

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Construction & Civil Engineering/General Contracting & Construction Management

SECONDARYBPAJAMAL

Real Estate Development Asset Management (Project/Construction-to-Stabilization)

Business & Public Services/Real Estate Services (Brokerage, Property Management)/Real Estate Asset & Portfolio Management

Keywords

• Sustainable construction
• Modular timber buildings
• Real estate development
• Timber hybrid construction
• Green building projects

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Real Estate Project Development and Construction: PRIMUS developments generates revenue by developing, planning, and constructing residential, commercial, and public buildings. The company acts as project developer (Projektentwickler) and general contractor (Totalübernehmer in partnership with Kaufmann Bausysteme). Revenue is realized through the sale or lease of completed buildings to end-users, investors, or government clients. Projects range from student housing (WOODIE, 371 units) and federal office buildings (LUISE for the Bundestag, ~17,000 m² BGF) to office ensembles (ROCKYWOOD, ~10,000 m² office space) and hotel/residential developments. The company has realized a project volume of approximately €1.2 billion.
2. Public Sector Construction Contracts: PRIMUS secures direct contracts from public-sector clients (Bundesbehörden, federal agencies, municipal governments) through competitive tendering. Projects such as the Bundesamt für Bauwesen und Raumordnung office building for the German Bundestag (LUISE), the Federal Customs School (Zollhochschule) in Rostock, and the Bundespräsidialamt temporary facility in Berlin are awarded via public procurement. Revenue is recognized upon project completion and handover.
3. Privately Financed Residential and Commercial Development: The company develops privately financed projects (e.g., WILLIE affordable housing, Marina Gardens, Neues Wallufer Lübeck) that are sold to individual buyers, housing associations, or investors upon completion. These follow a traditional property development revenue model where revenue is generated at point of sale or through rental income.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

PRIMUS developments GmbH is a Hamburg-based project developer (Projektentwickler) that plans, develops, and constructs sustainable residential, commercial, and public buildings using prefabricated timber modules and wood-concrete hybrid construction. The company specializes in industrial timber modular construction with 80-85% off-site module completion, acting as general developer (alongside partner Kaufmann Bausysteme as Totalübernehmer) and generating revenue through project sales, leasing, and public-sector tenders across Germany.

Product overview

PRIMUS developments is a project developer specializing in sustainable timber and hybrid modular construction. The company operates a portfolio of distinct building projects, including residential (WOODIE student housing, WILLIE affordable housing, residential towers in Lübeck and Celle), commercial office buildings (ROCKYWOOD micro-quarter, LUISE for German Bundestag, LIGHTYWOOD), and public/institutional projects (Zollhochschule Rostock, federal office buildings). Key product differentiators include the WOODCYCLE sustainability concept (ensuring timber regrowth through reforestation), timber module prefabrication with 80-85% completion rates, and material passports via Madaster platform. Projects are developed in collaboration with architectural firms (Sauerbruch Hutton, gmp, Eike Becker Architekten) and timber construction partner Kaufmann Bausysteme.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WOODIE Universal Design Quartier Hamburg Student housing complex in Hamburg-Wilhelmsburg with 371 modular micro-apartments constructed entirely from timber modules. At completion was the world's largest timber module building.
• ROCKYWOOD Offenbach Micro-quarter development in Offenbach am Main with two buildings (ROCKY and WOOD) combining timber module construction with column-free office spaces; stores approximately 2,800 tonnes of CO2.
• LUISENBLOCK West Berlin (LUISE) Seven-story office building for the German Bundestag in Berlin's government quarter, built as a timber hybrid with 400+ offices from nearly 460 timber modules in 18 months.
• LIGHTYWOOD Hamburg Harburg Hybrid construction project on Schlossinsel in Harburg, Hamburg, offering space for offices and gastronomy with an H-shaped footprint featuring timber facade and adaptable floor plans.
• WILLIE Hamburg-Wilhelmsburg

Quantifiable outcome

• Construction time reduced by ~50% compared to conventional methods (LUISE: 18 months total vs. 3-5 years conventional; WOODIE modules installed in 3 months)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kaufmann Bausysteme GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2020Long-term strategic partnership between PRIMUS developments and Kaufmann Bausysteme for modular timber construction projects. Kaufmann Bausysteme operates the module manufacturing facility (including a dedicated production line in Berlin-Köpenick for LUISE and a dedicated line in Rostock for the Zollhochschule) and acts as Totalübernehmer (total contractor) alongside PRIMUS. Together they won the BBR tender for LUISE (May 2020), the Zollhochschule Rostock (summer 2023), and the temporary Bundespräsidialamt building in Berlin. The partnership combines PRIMUS's project development and sustainability expertise with Kaufmann's timber module manufacturing capabilities.
• Sauerbruch Hutton ArchitektencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSauerbruch Hutton (Berlin) is the recurring architectural partner for PRIMUS's flagship timber construction projects. The firm designed WOODIE Hamburg, LUISE Berlin, the Hochschule des Bundes in Rostock, and the Neue Wallhalbinsel Lübeck Hotel. The architect's role extends beyond design to shaping the sustainability narrative of each project, with Sauerbruch Hutton recognized internationally for climate-conscious architecture.
• Bundesamt für Bauwesen und Raumordnung (BBR)coreOthersBBR is the federal government's central project management and planning authority for major construction projects. It conducts competitive tendering processes for buildings used by the federal government. PRIMUS won the LUISE project (May 2020) and the temporary Bundespräsidialamt building through BBR tendering procedures. BBR's role includes project oversight, approval, and coordination on behalf of the federal government.
• Bundesanstalt für Immobilienaufgaben (BImA)coreOthersBImA is the German Federal Agency for Real Estate Tasks, acting as the central real estate manager and developer for the German federal government. It commissioned PRIMUS + Kaufmann Bausysteme for the Zollhochschule Rostock project (2023 award) and the temporary Bundespräsidialamt. BImA represents the client/owner side in these public-sector development contracts.
• Eike Becker ArchitektencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEike Becker Architekten (Berlin) served as the architect for ROCKYWOOD in Offenbach, designing the two-building micro-quarter consisting of the WOOD (timber module) and ROCKY (reinforced concrete) components. The project won the B!WRD 2025, DGNB Gold, and the Brownfield Award 2025.
• gmp Architekten von Gerkan, Mark und PartnerminorStrategic or Co-development Partnergmp Architekten (with Common Agency and Heine Architekten) designed LIGHTYWOOD on the Schlossinsel in Hamburg-Harburg. gmp is one of Germany's most prominent architecture firms with a global portfolio of landmark buildings.
• LRW Architektur und StadtplanungminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLRW Architektur und Stadtplanung collaborated with PRIMUS on the WILLIE project in Hamburg-Wilhelmsburg, designing flexible floor plans with connectable rooms for affordable housing under the Hamburg-Standard pilot program.
• B&L GruppeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerB&L Gruppe is a real estate development partner for the Die Wasserkunst Lübeck project — a ~38,000 m² residential quarter on the Wakenitz riverfront with ~230 units, preserving the historic water tower and related heritage buildings.
• Heine ArchitektenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHeine Architekten (Hamburg) has collaborated with PRIMUS on multiple projects including XELLA Hauptverwaltung Duisburg, ELBARKADEN Hamburg, Neues Wallufer Lübeck, and Die Wasserkunst Lübeck, as well as a partner in the LIGHTYWOOD design team alongside gmp.
• Circle / Circle Hub (Offenbach)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerROCKYWOOD is part of the Circle network, a sustainability ecosystem that connects companies from the construction and circular economy sectors. ROCKYWOOD's 'Rocky' building hosts the Circle Club, a showroom/coworking/event space for the Circle Hub network that connects over 55 companies around sustainable and circular construction.
• Internationale Bauausstellung (IBA) HamburgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPRIMUS participated in the International Building Exhibition Hamburg 2013 with the GRUNDBAU UND SIEDLER project and the WOODIE project in Hamburg-Wilhelmsburg. IBA Hamburg is a major urban development showcase that commissioned innovative housing concepts in Wilhelmsburg.
• Drees & Sommer SEminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDrees & Sommer SE provides overall planning management (Gesamtplanung) for the Bundespräsidialamt temporary office building project in Berlin-Alt-Moabit, working alongside the ARGE Sauerbruch Hutton. Drees & Sommer is a leading international project management and consulting firm.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/primus-developments-gmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/primusdevelopments

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Primus Developments