Light Up - Increase with Wood

Many cities in Europe are facing the challenge of rising populations and a shortage of buildable land. However, they have many residential buildings from the 1960s and 1970s that have a high potential for upgrading and could thus contribute to solving the problem of housing shortage. proHolz announces an interdisciplinary, internationally open student competition on the topic of building with wood.

Specifically, the project involves two-story vertical additions to 3 existing residential buildings from the 1960s in Vienna. The following points in particular are to be taken into account in fulfilling the task:

1. The prerequisite is a system solution in wood or wood hybrid, which can also be used for other residential buildings of the same type from the same period.

2. Optimal utilization of the living space, flexible usage possibilities, compact and well thought-out floor plans, housing typology, affordable apartments (30 - 80 m2)

3. Creation of added value for existing residents through the construction of a storage room for bicycles and storage room for bicycles and strollers, as well as additional common areas and rooms of at least 100 m², additional loggias/balconies, elevator access corridors, staircases, etc.

4. Emergency exit scenarios, barrier-free accessibility must be considered.

5. Climate protection through e.g. greening of facades and roof areas.

6. For an improvement of the existing situation as well as for the development solution, individual apartments or parts of apartments can be "sacrificed" and/or smaller selective or surface additions can be made to the existing building. The focus of the expansion of the volume lies in the addition of two floors.