In der Wiesen Süd, Vienna (AT)

Our office developed the housing complex “In der Wiesen Süd” together with ARTEC architects. It consists of five buildings with 310 apartments, five studios and a flat-sharing community for young people. The central goal was to develop a coherent neighbourhood that links residents across building sites and supports them to implement community activities and thus enliven the neighbourhood.

We designed the northern part with three tower-like structures, forming a central and quiet area for the residents. The two six-story buildings take the shape of a flattened hexagon around a hollow core. The numerous balconies offer each apartment different views of the park and the city. A real highlight is the light-flooded atrium, remarkably spacious for a subsidized residential building.

Not least because of its social sustainability, the project won the public property development competition. This project was the first time a new residential quarter was planned and implemented in a dialogue-oriented, two-stage competition. In 2019 “In der Wiesen Süd” was awarded the Viennese Wohnbau_Preis.

Client: Heimbau Gemeinnützige Bau-, Wohnungs- und Siedlungsgenossenschaft
Location: A-1230 Vienna, Carlbergergasse
Architecture: Dietrich | Untertrifaller with ARTEC Architekten
Project management: Maria Megina, Sinisa Macedonic
Competition: 2013
Construction: 2015-2017
Area: 22,500 m²
Ecology: 23 kWh/m²a
Capacity: 310 apartments (Dietrich | Untertrifaller: 156, ARTEC: 154), ateliers, sharing community for adolescents

Award: Wiener Wohnbaupreis 2019

Planning
statics: Straka & Partner, Vienna / HAVCR, electronics: Mischek, Vienna / building physics: Kern+Ingenieure, Vienna / landscape: Auböck+Kárász, Vienna

Execution
construction management: Strabag, Vienna / building services: Stadtbaumeister Böhm, Vienna / metal-glass façade: ATP Metallbau, Purgstall / glass construction (skylight): Eberspächer Tageslichttechnik, Au am Leithaberge / metal construction: Wurzer, Klagenfurt / windows and doors: Felbermayer, Unterwaltersdorf

Photos: © Lukas Schaller, © Bruno Klomfar

Publications
2020 | 10 Wohnen Plus In der Wiesen Süd Wien | 2019 | 11 Architektur Aktuell BHP In der Wiesen Süd | 08 Wohnen + Wiener Wohnbau_Preis | 06 Architektur Wettbewerbe  Wiener Wohnbau_Preis | 05 Wohn Kurier In der Wiesen Süd  

Light flooded Atrium

A generous atrium, placed at the core of the two solitary building, brings natural light into the access zones and allows varied visual connections.

Compact Apartments with spacious Balconies

The compact one- to five-room apartments with an average size of 46 to 130 m² have generous private open spaces such as loggias, balconies and roof gardens. They are oriented to the east or west and are designed as cross-corner apartments at the front sides - pure north apartments could thus be avoided.
The offered range of types covers the entire spectrum, from efficiently organized flats for single parents and couples (B types) to flats for young families (C types) and extended families (D types).
Of a total of 310, 105 residential units were designed as SMART flats with optimized space and low rental costs for the residents. Evenly distributed in all buildings, they offer the same qualities as all apartments: kitchen/living rooms and private outdoor spaces are just as large as in the other B and C types.
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Individual Design

The surrounding loggias with protruding balconies and the full-surface glazing bring daylight into the kitchen and entrance areas and extend the apartments both visually and functionally. The loggias and balconies were deliberately fitted with a permeable flat steel railing in order to allow the residents to determine their own degree of transparency towards the outside: whether through complete openness, through planting or through a variety of privacy screens. This way, a possibility to acquire space was created that is gladly accepted.

Social Sustainability

The high-quality, attractive areas for commercial and social community facilities on the ground floor quickly developed into a popular meeting place throughout the area:

The workshop for handicrafts and bicycle repairs

The cooking studio as an extended kitchen is just as popular for private family celebrations as for neighborhood parties. Its versatile use and central location make it the heart of the district.

The home office serves the residents as a temporary workplace or young people and students for concentrated learning.

The nursery, facing the settlement center, is a meeting place for parents with children under the age of 3.

The children’s playroom next to the playground provides the young residents with plenty of activities with friends, even during bad weather. Parents and their children can meet here spontaneously to play and get to know each other.

Green Islands and Roof Gardens

Fortified surfaces, primarily along the overhanging buildings, enable to cross the area in a variety of ways. The access halls of the apartment entrances are located at the central passage, as are the common rooms. Freely formed green islands, partly planted with large trees and equipped with spacious children's playgrounds are in between. Public utilities such as a cooking studio and an indoor playground are oriented towards this park. Furnished community terraces with views over Vienna and individually rentable gardens on the roofs compensate for the lack of private gardens at courtyard level. The plant beds on the roof create additional opportunities for social gathering.

Ecology

Climate and resource-friendly construction:

The buildings were designed as compact low-energy houses, thus deliberately optimizing the ratio of usable space to building envelope.

Solar collectors were installed on all roof surfaces.

Concrete surfaces in the residential units serve as storage mass. High-quality external sun protection avoids overheating during summer.

Green roof areas and residents’ private gardens hold back rainwater and improve microclimatic conditions.

Healthy and environmentally conscious living:

All-round full glazing in all apartments and common rooms expand the room visually and bring a lot of light deep into the entrance areas.

End-to-end loggias with protruding balconies invite residents to independently green the facades of their houses.

Non-covered areas on the garage level leave open spaces for large tree plantings between the buildings.