Goals and innovative content

The overarching goal of the demonstration project 2-K3 is to develop, evaluate, and prototype concrete measures based on the "Wiener Luft" building to be realized. These measures will make a significant contribution to climate protection, climate change adaptation, and the circular economy. The scale and cost framework of the subsidized Viennese housing project provide a realistic framework for disseminating the solutions more widely and encouraging rapid replication.

Targeting climate protection beyond net zero, the life cycle phases A (construction), B (operation), and C (deconstruction), as well as fossil emissions and biogenic carbon storage, will be examined in detail and optimized in a life cycle assessment.

To create a future-proof urban living space, a package of passive measures for adapting to climate change will be compiled, evaluated, and optimized. Different parameters will be examined through simulation and variant comparison in different planning phases.

In order to build in a circular manner and close material cycles, the full range of circular economy options (reuse, use of renewable building materials, detachable connections, etc.) will be drawn upon, and a quantifiable evaluation of the measures will be undertaken.

The collaborative approach of architects, developers, and researchers will foster a linking of all three Cs. This will allow both conflicting objectives to be considered and implementation strategies for affordable housing to be developed.

Expected results

"Wiener Luft" is comparable in scale and framework to numerous other construction projects in Vienna and beyond. The systematic processing within the framework of 2-K3 offers the opportunity for the findings to initiate innovation and transformation beyond the project. The project thus joins the tradition of Viennese residential construction, which has long been a driver of innovative projects.

The goal of the R&D project 2-K3 is to consistently continue this path and provide robust and transferable foundations for all key planning decisions in order to optimize the effectiveness of passive solutions against heat and cold.

Through systematic work and a focus on the replication of results, the project provides impetus and tools for the greening of planning and construction as a whole. The demonstration building, which far exceeds current standards in subsidized housing, provides built proof of feasibility and serves as a model for future projects.