Habitation has always had a very special relevancy in Vienna. Well known for it´s cooperative dwellings, this project shows a very different side of living in Austria´s capital city. The house itself - an art déco mansion built in 1931 consist of three separate apartments.

The lowest raised ground floor apartment is owned by the clients since 2013. The flat was found in good but time-worn condition when the IFUB* got the comission for the conversion. Besides the details found in the flat itself, childhood memories and a strong personal connection of the client to the place and other conversions in the recent decades had to be considered in the design.Interventions were therefore done very cautiosly and the floor plan was only minimally changed.

Especially exciting in the design process was to find a way to deal with the original details and furniture. Built-in and freestanding cabinets wanted to be integrated wherever possible and exisiting details were refurbished or newly interpreted where a preservation was not possible.

The preservation of the existing was in general an important part of the sustainable concept. Windows and a big part of the flooring could be renovated instead of being removed. Only the building utilities had to be replaced completely to make place for newer and more effective technology.