# Project Profile: Social housing in Vienna by trans_city architecture

By [Brandon Donnelly](https://brandondonnelly.com) · 2022-03-20

archdaily, architecture, christian-aulinger, daniel-hawelka, david-schreyer, design, mark-gilbert, multi-unit-housing, social-housing, trans_city, vienna

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![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/57c027e1db93bfaa62abbedef0524f0d.jpg)

I stumbled upon [this multi-unit housing project in Vienna](https://www.archdaily.com/978746/housing-in-anton-schall-gasse-trans-city-christian-aulinger-mark-gilbert) because I thought it looked beautiful and I started thinking about the solid wall-to-window ratio on its facades. But it turns out that this project is far more than just a pretty face.

It's actually a social housing project on the outskirts of Vienna, where the city transitions into the countryside. And it incorporates a number of interesting design features:

*   The complex is heated using groundwater heat pumps (geothermal) and domestic hot water is provided with the help of rooftop solar panels.
    
*   The structural system consists of concrete slabs and columns ([no shear walls](https://brandondonnelly.com/2022/03/04/columns-vs-shear-walls-in-residential-and-office-construction/)) and was all poured in place. But the envelope consists of "prefabricated thermo-brick walls" which were craned into place (see below image). The curving balconies also look to be prefabricated elements.
    
*   The suites have been designed with a saw tooth pattern and the circulation mirrors this through a zig zagging pattern. The result is units that are akin to what you will find at [King Toronto](https://kingtoronto.com/) (Bjarke Ingels), though on average the suites here look to be bigger than what we typically design in Toronto.
    
*   The zig zagging corridors also incorporate skylights that let light down into the middle of the building. I think these run through multiple floors as well, and not just through the top floor of the building.
    

This certainly looks like a nice place to live.

![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/8ebcf62464641144ecd4d4b92e6fc462.jpg)

![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/9933be97ee6f8925ae2879e344070842.jpg)

![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/f40568b6b06d4c780adbe48d2acfd10e.jpg)

_Sources: Architecture by_ [_trans\_city_](https://trans-city.at/tc/news/?lang=en) _(Christian Aulinger, Mark Gilbert). Photography by Daniel Hawelka and David Schreyer. Both via_ [_ArchDaily_](https://www.archdaily.com/978746/housing-in-anton-schall-gasse-trans-city-christian-aulinger-mark-gilbert)_._

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*Originally published on [Brandon Donnelly](https://brandondonnelly.com/project-profile-social-housing-in-vienna-by-trans_city-architecture)*