Workshop 9: Open space – living space
Tuesday, 11 May 2010, 09.00-17.30
Tech Gate Vienna, Donau City Straße, 1A, 1220 Vienna

Presentations as downloads
Patrick Altermatt: Open space - living space. Open space design as contribution to urban development (pdf, German, 33,2 MB)
Ramesh Kumar Biswas: Diversity in housing and in semi-public space (pdf, German, 15.8 MB)
Wolfgang Förster: research focus open space - outlook to further research projects on this topic (pdf, German, 2 MB)
Thomas Knoll: Evaluation of open space design in social housing in Vienna
(Presentation: pdf, 1 MB)
(Report: pdf, 3 MB)
Gisa Ruland: Open spaces in housing estates - best practice (pdf, German, 7,8 MB)

The workshop theme
The quality of the residential environment - air, noise, nature - is one of the most important criteria when assessing housing contentment. Green spaces in the vicinity of the dwelling and a high recreational value of the environment are of particular significance. A high-quality design of the open space has thus become an important locational factor. When speaking of urban, multi-storey housing, the quality of open space has several dimensions: Different needs and demands have to be met, various options of use need to be combined.

A number of recent studies shows examples of successful open space design in housing - from Vienna and other cities - discussing the following questions:

	How can the design of open space allow for private and public use and balance respective requirements?
	How can open space be designed as a place for communication and social negotiations?
	How can open space through its aesthetics contribute to the identification with a housing estate?
	How can open space link housing estates to the surrounding district - thus contributing to the urban development of the city?

Apart from the presentation of projects funded by the Vienna Housing Research Programme and of an evaluation commissioned by wohnfonds_wien, the workshop will offer a guest lecture by the Swiss landscape architect Patrick Altermatt, who was responsible for the design of Rudolf-Bednar-Park in Vienna.

The workshop will be followed by parallel study tours presenting examples of high-quality design of open space in Viennese housing projects. (Mind: For organizational reasons the number of participants is limited!)

The Vienna Housing Research Days
Vienna has not only a long tradition of social housing and of successful models to adapt living space to contemporary requirements; the City of Vienna is also proud of its comprehensive research programme to continuously evaluate and redevelop its housing and urban renewal policy.

The workshop "Open space - living space" represents the ninth workshop in a series of events: The "Vienna Housing Research Days" provide an experts' platform for the presentation and discussion of recent research projects, realised in the framework of the Vienna Housing Research Programme. Thus, a further step towards an intensified dialogue and networking among the local and regional scientific community will be taken.

Programme

Tuesday, 11 May 2010

09.00 Opening and introduction

Michael Ludwig, Vienna City Councillor for Housing and Regeneration Moderation Wolfgang Förster, City of Vienna, MA 50, Division for Housing Research and international Relations

09.15 Presentations

Guest lecture: Open spaces - living spaces. Design of open space as a contribution to urban development Patrick Altermatt, Hager Landschaftsarchitektur AG, Zurich Open spaces in housing estates - best practice Gisa Ruland, Technisches Büro für Landschafts- und Freiraumplanung, Vienna

10.45 Coffee Break

11.15 Presentations

Diversity in housing and in semi-public space Ramesh Kumar Biswas, Atelier Biswas Vienna/Berlin/Kuala Lumpur Evaluation of open space design in social housing in Vienna Thomas Knoll, Knoll Planung & Beratung ZT GmbH, Vienna Outlook on further projects on the topic Wolfgang Förster, City of Vienna, MA 50, Division for Housing Research and international Relations Introduction to the objects to be presented at the study tours Thomas Knoll, Knoll Planung & Beratung ZT GmbH, Vienna

13.00 Lunch Break

14.00 Study Tour (limited number of participants)

Parallel study tours to examples of high-quality design of open space in Viennese housing projects: Housing projects Neues Leben - 10., Knöllgassse 49 - 51 / Aphrodite - 16., Baldiagasse 3-5 / ÖSW, Sozialbau, Bauhilfe - 3., Karree St. Marx / Heimbau - 22., Pichlgasse and 2., Rudolf-Bednar-Park

17.30 End of the Housing Research Day