TERRITORIAL SCALE: CONURBATION
The EU-expansion makes Vienna the centre of a conurbation between Bratislava, Budapest and Brno. Vienna's social housing which achieved mythical status in the "Red Vienna" of the 1920s is saturated in the city expansion zones. In the southern area a fragmented mix of infrastructure, housing complexes, industrial areas and agricultural green has to be re-evaluated. Development issues have to revitalize de-industrialized sites and to deal with fragments that suffer from their contaminated location. By improving the connections to local nodes (park&ride areas and local sub-centres) the city wants to raise the urban quality also in its peripheral urban areas.

URBAN SCALE: STUDY SITE
“Stadlau” is located north of the Danube and will profit considerably from the new subway extension. The study area, north of the traditional Stadlau suburb, will be 900m away from the new subway station. A former machine factory has set free a huge area for a highly ambitious development plan, directed in close cooperation with the city. More recent suburban shopping logics have overruled the traditional ones: whereas the “Genoch-Square” with its built up market stands is neglected, large shopping centres are the new magnets, having established suburban public place in midst their vast car park areas.

Programmatic intentions:
On the urban level the improvement of local connections (walking/biking/rolling) between new and existing facilities should develop a unique public network, being in line with Vienna’s commitment for local urban improvement. This includes the restructuring of the dilapidated Genoch-Square.

PROXIMITY SCALE: SITE OF PROJECT
The site itself shall be developed as an oasis for elderly people, being in close contact with the younger generations and their neighbouring facilities (students’ home, shopping, fitness, offices…)
The site borders to different conditions, such as an allotment-garden-development, a municipal maintenance development and the railway. The whole architectural project shall be finished within the next 5 years and constitute an exemplary development for the integration of elderly people in urban space.

Programmatic intentions:
180 housing units, a day care centre and “garden-housing-units” shall be planned. The relation between building type, private outdoor facilities and public space is especially important, demonstrating highly attractive living spaces for the needs of the senior citizens.