Cost-effective Models for the Future
In many metropolises, housing shortage is setting ever new records on a daily basis. The limited supply of affordable housing faces steadily growing, high demand in numerous places. In light of exploding prices in the housing market, there is a pressing need for action. Many cities and governments, in the meanwhile, recognise that it is their primary duty to create as much affordable housing as quickly as possible. Often, however, land prices exceed construction costs, attracting the attention of investors and making housing space a capital investment promising profit.
In order to meet the need for affordable flats, convincing models and concepts are required that are cost-efficient, sustainable, and forward-thinking. Financing and relevant funding instruments, as well as the reduction of construction costs, and the rapid implementability of residential buildings are significant challenges for architects and clients. Last but not least, however, the quality of housing shouldn’t fall by the wayside, which is, unfortunately, currently all too often the case. Alongside deliberations on floor plans, it is the careful selection of building materials, including their con- structional application, as well as social aspects, which con- stitute decisive approaches for the architecture in this con- text. How can, however, cost reductions be achieved without forgoing important qualities for the residents?
The essays in this book shed light all these challenges, introducing different perspectives and discussing historical as well as topical examples. In doing so, planning meth- ods and processes on the construction site are addressed that can contribute to a reduction in building costs. At the same time, social aspects and historical interrelationships are also taken up, as in the example of Vienna, a metropolis which is considered a role model for funded housing con- struction. The project part of the book presents 15 exem- plary residential buildings in Europe, providing insights into a variety of concrete measures for reducing costs. Current projects, such as in Paris, Berlin, London, or Zwolle, are discussed in the texts and are presented along with architectural photographs and plans. Construction de- tails in a scale of 1:20 round out the project documenta- tions, outlining various cost-efficient construction methods. The systematic organisation of the exemplary projects ac- cording to selected keywords permits an overview of the diverse approaches and solutions for cost reduction in housing construction.
Sandra Hofmeister (ed)
Design: strobo bm, Munich
192 pages with numerous illustrations
32 x 23 cm
Hardcover
English
ISBN: 978-3-95553-448-6