Sakura Social Housing Brünner Straße

1210 Vienna
Social housing
120 Apartments
12.500 sq.m.
18,0 MIO Euro
Client:BWSG
Start of Construction: Oktober 2012
Completion : Februay 2016



URBAN CONCEPT
The property is located on a very busy intersection.
By intervening in the provided work plan it was possible to create better light and sunlight conditions.
In order to defuse the “T”-point, a V-shaped courtyard is cut into the building.
The portico accesses and the ancillary room areas are concentrated throughout the courtyard.
A passage in the East creates a pedestrian connection between Brünnerstraße and a park in the West.

BUILDING STRUCTURE
The North- and Courtyard-wing are connected by a portico; the East-wing is connected by paired apartments.
The South-West part of the building has apartments located on the ground floor which are situated 60 cm above the adjoining terrain. The rest of the ground floor houses a 5-group kindergarten and ancillary rooms.

APARTMNENT STRUCTURE
A large variety of apartment ground plans are created through the particular body structure of the building. Openness and the dynamic of the space structure may add to the diversity of living units.
By putting together B-type apartments bigger flats are created, each with a correspondently large sanitary units. The possibility to interconnect the rooms between the B and C-type apartments is given, as well as the possibility to merge them together.
The apartments are designed in a very compact way and are economically optimized. The flats offer the same quality and category of living having less usable space.

FAÇADE
The portico is shielded from the street by a “skin” made of a steel mesh. Big cuts in the façade allow different view variations and sequences into the surroundings. The steel mesh covers over the plastered façade on the East part of the housing complex.
The façade in the courtyard is composed of loggias and windows of 2 different sizes

REDUCTION OF COSTS THROUGH PLANNING
Creating compact apartments. Less usable space – same apartment category and equal quality of living. The portico is designed in a way to minimize the amount of elevators and staircases, which creates lower costs in the building process, as well as in the everyday life usage. The sanitation core is build with short pipe systems.

SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY
Flexibility and suitability for everyday use is one of the central components of the planning. This is possible through the ground plan design (flexible living-kitchen area, neutral living spaces, the ability to connect rooms, merging apartments) and the possibility of being able to be part of the designing process of the apartment by its future owners.
The complex is equipped with easily reachable bike and baby stroller storage spaces on the ground and on the upper floors. Accessibility in all the community areas is, of course, a must. The ground floor apartments have different combination possibilities which can be adapted for the special needs of handicap people and people in need of care.
Due to the compactness of the flats, a big variety of different community spaces is offered. The diversity of the community areas reaches from a recreational communal kitchen large number of guests, to a managed in- and outdoor areas for children to play.
Clear circulation areas, good lighting and a variety of visual relationships create fear free paths and spaces. Every apartment has its own loggia with a balcony which shows good use of proportions.

COSTS REDUCTION
In addition to the original measures in the leading idea to sink costs, the reduction of costs in the design of community areas will also play an important role. The idea is that areas which are designed together by its inhabitants are valued more and are better taken care of. Through this process the quality of living becomes better, the maintenance costs are reduced and therefore, the sustainable longevity of the designed inside and outside spaces is assured. The energy efficient building design and the use of low-maintenance and durable materials (e.g. wood-aluminum windows with triple isolation) help to reduce heating and operating costs.
In addition to the reduction in the costs through the Construction Law Model (Baurechtsmodell), the long-term security of the object for the Social Rented Apartments is secured through the 100 year Construction Law Agreement (Baurechtsvertrag).

LIVING IN A COMMUNITY
The project has a differentiated system of meeting and communication rooms with varying degrees of privacy; for example - community rooms and a communal kitchen.
Due to the system of circulation areas of the housing complex, small manageable social spaces are created. Through the large diversity of free spaces the identification of the inhabitants with their housing complex is strengthened. Additionally, the incorporation of the lower social groups in the managed living apartments on the ground floor should create further community building and should reduce prejudice.

LIVING FOR CHANGING NEEDS
Changes within the apartment are with relative ease possible and offer different possibilities with changing living needs in nearly all phases of life. The rooms will be used for resting, working, playing learning and other uses.