Plattenbausanierung in Wien und Bratislava

This present publication summaries the results of the scientific project "Rehabilitation of Prefabricated Housing Estates in Vienna and Bratislava". Volume I presenting the fundamental research describes goals, theory and methodology, analyses the phenomenon of prefabricated housing estates in Vienna and Bratislava regarding urbanism, architecture, construction and social issues and summarises the most important scientific results and recommendations. Volume 2 presents the results of the pilot project - rehabilitation of a housing block in Bratislava-Petrzalka -, which has been carried out in the course of the project. Prefabricated housing estates are an important part of European cultural, social and economic history. With all positive and negative aspects, they represent the implementation of the ideas of modern architecture and urbanism after 1945. This publication intends to create a new discourse concerning modern architecture and urbanism and to rethink traditional positions: Are prefabricated housing estates better than their image? These housing estates exhibit positive and negative aspects in various ways. Many of them show a big potential for urbanistic, architectural, social and economic development. In the case of Bratislava-Petrzalka, wide open spaces and the proximity to the city-centre have led to a dynamic development of new housing and business complexes and shopping malls. The deficiencies observed mostly include aspects of infrastructural equipment, aspects of design of public space or the construction of the buildings (especially in Bratislava). The estimation of future demographic and socio-economic developments is a pre-condition for comprehensive rehabilitation. Research results show that the consideration of age-specific needs - recreational needs of young people and new infrastructural demands of older people - is a basic necessity. Being most important elements of social life, use and design of public space remain problematic issues of large housing estates. It is obvious that the main task of a future housing policy will not be new construction, but predominantly maintenance of the existing housing stock. This requires a new orientation of housing policy concerning objectives and use of financial means. In view of the present tenure structure in Bratislava and Vienna, the repeatedly discussed question whether to renovate or to demolish prefabricated housing estates seems to be irrelevant. There are substantial ecological, economic and socio-political arguments for a broad rehabilitation offensive. The results of the pilot project show that the flexibility of construction as well as the compact structure of prefabricated buildings of that time allow an efficient and reasonable renovation of construction and architecture of the buildings. A technical and pyhsical rehabilitation resulting in a low-energy-standard of the buildings can be realised easily. Intelligent rehabilitation not only leads to significant improvements of the quality of housing, but also to substantial energy savings. Besides this, the present condition of construction of many buildings requires immediate action. The development of new, adequate financing concepts for rehabilitation is essential. The results of the pilot project indicate that the provision of financing by the flat owners themselves is possible if own sources are consumed and owners act flexible. For sure, the implementation of these measures requires a professional property management. New, professional ways of communication and mediation between state, local authorities, property management and flat owners have to be found. Questions of financing in particular require a high degree of dedication and commitment of the flat owners. In the course of the PW pilot project financing concepts not only included architectural, but also economic upgrading of the concerned object. The PWB-project shows that fundamental research has the capability to develop practice-oriented projects in cooperation with businesses, architects and the applied research and thus contribute to a new awareness of processes of urban development in Vienna and Bratislava. A well-founded fundamental research and networks of knowledge are essential pre-conditions for the development of new visions in the "Twin-City"-region Vienna - Bratislava.