…that was not the question here.

The house at Margaretenstraße 28 is known to many in Vienna, as it houses one of the last inner-city petrol stations with a courtyard garage. The residential property dates back to the 60s and is a typical representative of this time. It is an almost uninsulated concrete building with visible concrete elements and thin reinforced concrete ribbed ceiling. This is characterized by a very economical use of all materials, which have little to no load reserves. The building was adapted in the 80s with cassette panels on the façade, but otherwise remained unchanged.

t-hoch-n ARCHITEKTUR ZT GmbH has provided us with a feasibility analysis , which quickly made it clear that massive interventions would be required for an attic extension including an additional storey. With our expertise as a technical general planner, we were nevertheless able to create an overall concept including optimized use of a large PV system, a battery storage system and a bivalent air-water heat pump. In order to reconcile the requirements of the client with the existing building, one floor is completely removed, and a generous attic extension including granny flat in solid wood construction in passive house quality is built.

On our question “And where is the pool now?”, it was quickly integrated into the architect’s design and will in the future float, seemingly infinitely, above the courtyard.