HY3GEN - A Regenerative Building

Status

completed

Summary

HY3GEN - The Third Generation Hybrid Building

In urban areas the lifetime of buildings becomes shorter. This is on the one hand the result of the changing needs in a fast moving society. On the other hand this is programmed in contemporary standards of built structures. The considerable environmental impact through weak life cycle balances of average buildings is the starting point for the present project.

To strengthen the ecological performance of buildings the HY3GEN project pursued three main objectives in the design process:

• flexibility of utilisation,
• sustainability in construction and material
• and low primary energy consumption in the operation of the building.

In terms of architecture, hybrids are buildings that combine different functions with high density on one lot. Hybrid buildings were designed and built in American inner cities as early as at the end of the 19th century as multifunctional structures. The second generation of hybrid buildings was developed with the goal of using construction components optimally designed to respond to the individual needs of the building's users and a maximum of flexibility.

The "third generation hybrid building" (HY3GEN), whose main features are being defined in this project, has expanded this approach to include the integration of aspects of efficient resource utilization in construction and operation as well as the use of regenerative raw materials and renewable energy.

The goal is to realize a building concept that is adapted to the requirements of its surroundings (environment, users and the market) in a holistic and flexible manner:

• The building is ecologically optimized owing to efficient resource utilization, the use of regenerative raw materials and the minimization of emissions during construction and use of the building.
• It is user-friendly due to the fact that the floor plans and furnishings are adaptable to the needs of the individual users whenever required.
• The fact that the building's uses can be changed if required in conjunction with optimized operation costs gives the building a very high market potential. The intention is to keep the building cost-efficient and competitive over its entire usable life for both the owner and the users. This is achieved by applying the full cost calculation approach over the entire usable life of the building as well as by a broad range of secondary services offered in areas like information technology, mobility and home services.

HY3GEN, the "regenerative building" is characterized by a modular construction typology. Based on a building block system, flexible floor plans and furnishing variants with standardized connections are designed to meet the most varied requirements and permit the flexible adaptation to changed needs.

In more than ten team meetings and lots of individual contributions the requirements of a hybrid building prototype have been elaborated in cooperation of different professions and economic positions. In the process the specifications were being detailed, complemented and revisited by the different professionals and coordinated with the whole team. The specifications include details concerning project development, zoning, urban structures, building structure, construction, building ecology and technical facilities. In the interdisciplinary discourse of planners, architects and housing developers it was possible to develop an integrated building solution.

The erection of a HY3GEN-prototype according to these principles was provided for within a pilot project. After the acquisition of an appropriate building lot in Vienna-Simmering the application of the HY3GEN specifications began. In accordance with the housing developer a zoning plan was designed which responds to the special requirements of a HY3GEN building. The zoning plan is being documented in this report. However the pilot project was not put into practice.

The specific design of hybrid buildings depends on the location, the economic building task and the functional programme. Nevertheless there is a set of technical and planning characteristics and features of hybrid buildings which have been collected for the programme "Haus der Zukunft" ("Building of tomorrow") in this report and can be used as a handbook for future project developments.

Project management

Dr. Robert Korab und Horst Fuchs
Raum & Kommunikation

Project and cooperation partners (ARGE HY3GEN)

• DI Heinz Geza Ambrozy, Atelier Ambrozy
• Arch. Elke Delugan-Meissl, Delugan_Meissl Associated Architects
• DI Helmut Wimmer, Büro DI Helmut Wimmer
• Ing. Norbert Küblböck, DI Henryk Czaja, Vienna Öko Systems
• DI Ronald Mischek und Dr. Thomas Belazzi, Mischek ZT GesmbH
• Robert Lechner, Österreichisches Ökologie-Institut
• DI Uta Brenner, Horst Fuchs, Dr. Robert Korab, DIAnnika Schönfeld und DI Arch. Berndt Stingl-Larome, raum & kommunikation
• Arch. DI Fritz Waclawek, k/haus - Architekt

ARGE HY3GEN
c/o raum & kommunikation KORAB KEG
Lerchenfelder Gürtel 43/6/3, A-1160 Wien
Tel.: +43 (1) 7866559-0
Fax: +43 (1) 7866559-33
E-Mail: office@raum-komm.at