einszueins architektur aims to create resilient, self-organized communities in both urban and rural areas. The people that establish each cooperative or association are typically well-educated and diverse in age, income and cultural backgrounds. 

Shared spaces like gardens, food-growing plots, workshops, kitchens and playrooms encourage interaction, a sense of community and self-sufficiency. One of einszueins projects runs a food cooperative and co-working space, whilst another has offices for entrepreneurs, hot desks, an event hall, and a hotel. Urban projects are hubs for culture and art: one development has a café with an enrichment programme and even a music school.  Most projects also have commercial spaces on the ground floor that reach out and engage with the wider neighbourhood, bringing job opportunities and economic development.   

In four of the ten einszueins’ cohousing projects , the founding groups decided to collectively pay for homes for vulnerable people on low-incomes and refugees. For example, the community at Gleis 21 decided to set up a ‘solidarity fund’ to support group members with financial difficulties and pay for four ‘flex’ apartments where refugees can live free of charge and are assisted by a non-profit organisation called Diakonie. Residents of these apartments have become part of the community, and two of them now work for Gleis 21. The artists’ collective located at the same development regularly hosts language courses and events for refugees.   

Environmental impact 

From the outset, projects are designed to cut carbon emissions and pollution. Prefabricating as much as possible reduces the amount of transportation needed for building materials and results in a cleaner construction site. The architecture is also designed to fit on the smallest amount of land possible, to protect biodiversity and help the infiltration of rainwater.  

Natural, local and biodegradable materials are favoured. For example, the Auenweide project in rural Austria uses straw insulation, cut just 50km from the site. All the buildings on that development meet near-passive standards which is ground-breaking in the area. Added features like compostable natural materials, rooftop gardens, natural light and ventilation, groundwater pumps and solar power also reduce the environmental impact and create healthier homes.  

Funding 

The projects are funded through a combination of equity, bank loans and public subsidies. In Vienna, the projects are built by limited-profit developers who either sell or rent the building to the residents’ association or cooperative.  All households must be below the social housing income ceiling which includes people on low- and middle-incomes. Residents pay rents that are lower than market rates, but enjoy the benefits of high-quality accommodation. Rural projects face greater funding challenges due to the lack of suitable public support programmes from local and regional governments. Instead, they sometimes use a “wealth pool” or crowdfunding to raise additional capital. Projects with high environmental credentials often qualify for additional grants which lower costs. 

Transfer and future plans 

einszueins’ founders, architects Katharina Bayer, Markus Zilker and Markus Pendlmayr have helped to create professional associations like IG Architecktur and the cohousing umbrella organisation ‘Initiative for Collective Building and Living’. In this way, the firm has played a central role in showcasing the viability and creativity of cohousing models, promoting them across Austria.  

Cohousing residents and einszueins’ staff have also inspired others to adopt sustainable and inclusive cohousing by writing books, organising public tours and running workshops. Their work has influenced government policies, leading to more cohousing projects and supportive regulations and funding programmes in other Austrian regions. 

They’ve trained architects and shared their expertise internationally through lectures and study visits, contributing to a global movement towards resilient, self-organized communities. 

einszueins has also started to export its expertise to Germany, based on the technology developed for the timber construction of Gleis 21 and eight-storey Vis-à-Wien in Vienna. They are also working on the scaling up of straw-insulation as an efficient, natural and biodegradable material.  

The lessons learnt from each of the cohousing projects help to make conventional housing projects stronger. For example, together with three non-profit developers, einszueins has launched a research project on three carbon-neutral buildings, adding to the evidence base for more environmentally responsible construction.  

In addition to new developments, einszueins is also working on the conversion of a hundred-year-old workers’ settlement (Transform Ternitz) into decarbonised cohousing.   

Why it’s a World Habitat Award Winner 

einszueins architektur’s approach offers a refreshing alternative to traditional affordable housing development. By involving residents, prioritising sustainable technologies and giving people the tools for social connection, they are driving neighbourhood revitalisation, laying the foundations for cohesive communities and showing the world how we can decarbonise housing. 

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