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The development plan for the area Erzherzog-Karl-Straße – Lavaterstraße scheduled a variety of programs and typologies. The “inner” northern area is characterized by housing, comprising different levels of density. At the rims, along the encompassing streets, higher buildings (Bauklasse II and III)with commercial use on ground floor were envisaged. Building lot 1 is to be found at the intersection of those two structures – whereas southern Erzherzog-Karl-Straße does not only expose this but all the sites to an enormous noise pollution.
Our design is divided into free-standing single-family houses in the courtyard and a flexed slab alongside the streets, which simultaneously serves as a noise protection wall for the housing area behind.
The slab’s stretched part is oriented in east-west direction. Due to the rotation of the gable, parallelly to the building line, an efficient circulation with three stair cases und three central corridors, and, moreover, in respect of challenges and constraints by the surroundings, a clearly structured building emerges, which allows for a lot of architectural freedom and spatial quality: The additional cubing which was gained by the rotation of the gable, was not only used to increase the floor space, but was added to the living area. Subsequently a total of 107 units and 32 different types were generated which living rooms mounts up to a height of 3.9 metres.
All apartments along Erzherzog-Karl-Straße are characterized by spatial sequences which take into account differnet levels, subtle lighting and an orientation which at least is bilateral – which means that cross ventilation was enabled. The central corridors are completed by spatial extension for collective use.
Not a homogenous structure with continuous eaves was conceived, but a porous and stepped volume, which assures that the semi-detached houses behind are served with daylight as well. The stepped roof is used for private and collective terraces.
The four free standing houses are located on the property line without exploiting the maximal density values. The habitable rooms are oriented in eastern or western direction, the living areas on ground floor are screened from the collective space by “green rooms”. The outdoor space is structured by plants and topography. Between the streetwise slab and the semi-detached houses, the space is characterized by greem hills which seem to enlarge the distance between public circulation and private gardens. Moreover, trees are supposed to screen the gardens from the adjacent apartments of the slab.
Client: BA-CA Real Invest, Wien
Developer: ARWAG Bauträger GmbH
Space allocation: 102 apartments at 8.515 sq living area, 682 sq retail space
Adress: Erzherzog-Karl-Straße 193, 1220 Vienna
Team: Casper G. Zehner & Benjamin Konrad (project management), Alex Dworschak , Lisa Posch, Achim Reese, Bastian Sun Peters
Landscaping: DI Anna Detzlhofer
Planning period: September 2007 – June 2010
Photos construction site: pool
All other photos: Hertha Hurnaus