Systemic renovation in the social housingsector

Status

ongoing

Summary

Analysing the Europasiedlung in Eisenerz, there are some specific problems, wich cannot be solved only unidimensional:

Problem of the regional economy

In an economical and demographical decreasing region renovations are to be questioned basically. Highly incentive measures are surely not defendable, if these measures will be used for empty flats.

Technical and ecological Problem

In times of stagnation, a community is responsible to help the inhabitants who managed their part of recovery in working in the mining industry in times of economic boom. There is no reason to explain the importance of redevelopment when 126 flats each are heated with there own stoves and the energy is wasted through 0.30m thin, not insulated outdoor walls. Reducing the running costs for the poor inhabitants has to be focused. So the aim is to come close to the energy standard of passive houses by using specific components of sucessfull low-energy- and passiv house concepts.

Urbanistic and architectural refurbishment

Residential estates like this which were built in times of housing shortage without taking in consideration architecture or the needs of the inhabitants for free spaces. They have to be given a new image through a complete renovation. Following to this new image, these residential estates will be revitalised. It would be wrong to try a revitalisation only by repainting the fasade. The only useful way is a global renovation of these massquaters.

Therefore a systemic approach would be necessary to manage a successful renovation. The inhabitants have to be seen as a part of the whole, in which criterions of economical, ecological and social sustainability have to be optimized as well at the makro as at the mikro level to guarantee an efficient use of resources.
This is possible because, in oppposition to the standard, an increased performance of participation of inhabitants and other benefitting groups and an intensive debate on energy efficiency is part of the project. From that point of view it is not possible to define fixed aims, because this would turn the process of participation into absurdity. That's why during the planing stage all options should be taken into consideration, even the partial demolition of accomodations.

However the general aim is redeveloping this residential estate, to turn a "dead housing estate" back to live considering the demographic situation of an aging community. From further importance is to show new models in optimizing energy consumption in a large residential estate of council housing. Besides it has a certain relevance to make the the topic of habitation a subject of discussion inside the regional development and by means of this to improve the importance of the "Haus der Zukunft".