court yards

1. Stumpergasse, 1060 Wien

Der Innenhof im dichtverbauten 6. Bezirk eines Gründerzeithausblocks war mit Fichten bestückt und die Oberfläche nur mehr verdichtete Erde, wo aufgrund der Verschattung schon lange kein Rasen mehr wuchs. Der Hof brauchte eine Aufhellung, ein Licht-Schatten-Spiel und eine Aufwertung durch Grün, mit Hilfe einer attraktiven Bepflanzung. Die Fichten wurden entfernt. Das sonnigste Stück wurde mit einer Rasenoase ausgelegt, wo sich das Grün des Rasens auch halten kann. In den schattigen Randzonen wurde zur Aufhellung eine Schotterdecke aus kantigen, hellgrauen Dolomit verlegt. Das für Kinder ausgerichtete Konzept zeichnet weitere Kreise; die spielerischen runden Formen animieren zum Spiel und sind zugleich Erschließungswege. Die Attraktivität des Hofes wurde durch das Setzen von Nutzpflanzen erhöht, alte Kulturpflanzen von der Arche Noah, Erdbeeren, Himbeeren zum Naschen machen den Innenhof zu einem lebenswerten Freiraum und vermitteln nun eine Gartenatmosphäre.

2. Courtyard Kettenbrückengasse, Vienna

The courtyard in the Kettenbrückengasse in Vienna 5th district is shaped by fragments Biedermeier houses interspersed - into the higher houses of the Fin de Ciècle. Along the court yard are new organised housing units such as private rawhouses. Although the courtyard is contrary to the housing units community possession, the question of the private use before the own house input arose. The concept was to be enabled beside community surfaces also a private use of the house before areas.

3. Redesign of a patio at Heinestrasse, Vienna

This patio in Vienna’s 2nd district is owned by a community of residents with 12 owners. In the course of renovating the base of the house that was built in the Wilhelminian era, the patio was also to be redesigned. However, one car dealer was entitled to 3 parking spaces. It was virtually hopeless for the community of owners to get an appealing patio, until they made a final attempt and contacted a landscape architect. The first step of this project was to negotiate a redemption for the parking spaces, which – unexpectedly – was agreed quickly.

 The design solution is based on the requirement to accommodate all requirements of greening, the seasons, space for joint seating, waste collection and bicycles. Instead of the previously planned lawn, a gravel surface with edged grain was applied - also with regard to easy maintenance - that gives the area a bright and inviting appearance and resilience against all sorts of impacts. A shape-giving common beech hedge fenced off the waste collection area. A row of hydrangea combined with blue spiraea creates a certain distance to the house wall, thus creating a patio inside the patio. Alongside the old brick wall, a bed with shade plants was created that add colourfulness and daily variety. Two cherry trees and a bed with four different hydrangeae round off the vertical structuring of the planting. The house owners actively contributed to the realisation, planted trees with some technical assistance and founded a garden team that takes care of the garden. “The best thing about the base renovation is the garden”, say the owners who never thought they would ever have a real garden of their own.