The Wood Housing | Vienna
The Context
The Wood Housing project in Seestadt Aspern, Vienna (2011–2015), represents a pioneering example of sustainable urban housing. Commissioned by EBG Vienna and developed with Querkraft Architekten, it won first prize in an open competition. Located on plot D12 in the south-eastern part of Seestadt, the development consists of 213 apartments and eight shops within seven articulated volumes, four to seven stories high, above a shared underground garage.
The staggered timber buildings create a group of recognizable individual houses. This articulation generates lively open spaces, diverse perspectives, and strong connections to the surrounding pedestrian network. The project combines density, diversity, and community life within a single urban block. The project was developed in collaboration with Berger+Parkkinen.
The Concept
The design is based on housing diversity. Instead of one large block, a sequence of slender, compact timber buildings defines a dynamic ensemble. Semi-public courtyards and a variety of visual relationships emerge from their staggered arrangement.
Three north–south access decks connect the volumes, alternating between light-filled staircases, enclosed corridors, and open decks. Circulation becomes an architectural experience, complemented by shared terraces. The modular, linear system allows a wide mix of apartment types and future adaptability.
Despite excellent energy performance, the buildings open generously to the outside. Combined with timber as the main construction material, this approach conveys sustainability, lightness, and depth.
The Project
Shared Spaces and the Canyon
At the center lies the canyon, a semi-public courtyard forming the heart of the complex. With steps, ramps, and wooden cladding surfaces, it becomes a meeting place and play area for children. It connects directly to the pedestrian zone and is framed by communal rooms on the ground floor.
Landscape and Outdoor Spaces
The courtyards feature green hills, terraces, and trees that create an organic landscape, balancing community and privacy. Circulation paths are deliberately limited to avoid corridor-like routes, instead forming informal gathering points near entrances, laundries, and playgrounds. Street furniture, unfenced lawns, and outdoor seating activate the commercial ground floor.
Construction and Sustainability
The project employs prefabricated wooden walls with stone wool insulation, ensuring quality and minimizing noise, dust, and emissions during construction. A concrete frame provides flexibility in layouts and façades, while projecting loggias and balconies lend rhythm and depth.
Guided by climate analysis and bioclimatic principles, the design integrates renewable timber, high energy efficiency, and adaptable living spaces. The result is a residential model that unites environmental responsibility, social interaction, and comfort within Vienna’s new urban landscape.
