Open Space Qualities

Project Overview: 
The study draws attention to a frequently overlooked area of housing: open space. Cooperative housing organisations have an area of work whose social, ecological, and economic importance for both the cooperatives and their members contains many untapped potentials. Recent events such as the Covid-19 pandemic with its lockdown phases, the heavy rain events of summer 2021, and the heat waves of 2022 highlight the critical importance of accessible greenery right outside residents’ doors. Opportunities for well-designed, usable, and sustainable open spaces in housing lie not only in new construction but also in the development of existing neighbourhoods.

Energy-related modernisations of building stock from the 1970s onward provide an opportunity to integrate topics such as accessibility, mobility, and changing resident requirements for outdoor spaces.

The study presents best-practice examples from a survey of members of Wohnen in Genossenschaften e.V., showing that open space is a valued topic. Housing organisations demonstrate a range of solutions across different urban situations, from individual open space design elements to overall site layout and vegetation use.

The focus is not on high-end, costly solutions but on basic design approaches that can be implemented in affordable housing. Through careful zoning, strategic vegetation, flexible usage for residents, and multifunctional use of areas, high-quality and sustainable open spaces can be achieved without high investment. Solutions must also be economically viable for both companies and residents to ensure long-term maintenance.

To facilitate the development of residential open spaces, the study provides a “toolbox” outlining typical open space planning tasks and implementation ideas. These examples are illustrative and do not replace the work of landscape architects but aim to raise awareness and systematically address typical construction tasks.

Key Questions and Principles:

• Openness of use
• Multi-functionality
• Sustainability

Goals:

• Vegetation
• Resource use
• Microclimate
• Maintenance
• Biodiversity
• Rainwater management
• Sustainable mobility
• Neighbourly interaction

Locations:

• Buildings and enclosures
• Entrance areas/front gardens
• Private outdoor spaces
• Communal outdoor spaces
• Car parking areas

Tasks:

• Target group suitability
• Design
• Functionality
• Costs
• Maintenance
• Conflict-free use
• Atmosphere

Duration: November 2020 – October 2022
Funding: Wohnen in Genossenschaften e.V.
Partners: VDW (Association of the Housing Industry in the West)
Team: Prof. Dr Hans-Peter Rohler; Lars Winking (WMA)
Website: www.wohnen-in-genossenschaften.de/leitfaden-freiraumqualitaeten