ARGE Johannes Kaufmann / Hermann Kaufmann

Description

At first view you ask yourself: Why is this housing with about 100 residences – completely built out of wood – built amid the city of Vienna? How the history showed us a lot of people have images of burning cities in their heads. Furthermore the absence of timber constructions in the most parts of Austria is responsible for the neglect of this capable construction material. So much the better is the political decision of the City of Vienna to regulate the timber constructions newly in the amendment of the Vienna building law 2001. This building law amendment and the committed ecological appendages of the federal capital were the fundament for the housing-development competition “Wien Muehlweg”. A total of 300 flats should be realized in timber or in mixed timber constructions at the suburban area of Vienna. How much timber bears a city – how much the acquirer or a lodger of a flat? Will the flats be empty if the facade gets grey? Will visible timber ceilings be papered by the lodgers? We are still not able to answer those and many other questions but what we know is that 98 percent of the flats were sold or lodged at the completion. Not one project like this can be found in Europe. Through this bundling of experienced experts in the planning area and the good cooperation between the building owners and the building authorities a modern and ecologic timber construction has been created: timber constructions over 4 floors beside the mixed timber constructions, passive houses beside low energy houses, timber facade beside plaster façade. One thing all has in common – a lot of engagement for a good cause. The one who does not know the the modern flair of timber constructions, should sometimes look at the results.