Form Follows Paragraph

1070 Vienna

Cooperation Partners

Architekturzentrum Wien

Museumsplatz 1 im MQ
1070 Wien

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Built rule of law – Which standards do we need?

The current demographic developments set new challenges for the social housing especially regarding the affordability. Which standards and norms, which paragraphs and interpretations of the building law do have an influence on the creation of affordable and at the same time high quality housing including open spaces and infrastructures?

In summer and autumn 2016, interviews with persons professionally linked to building norms, laws and regulations have been lead in the framework of the research project „Form Follows Paragraph / Built Law. What standards do we need?” The questions have then been further discussed within a workshop. The subjects went from concrete projects up to the self-image of the actors.

The discussion showed that every interviewed person has a variety of very concrete experiences related to norms and laws that directly affect construction or building projects. On the side of the planers it appears quite evidently that it is part of their professional self-conception to propose alternative or better solutions in order to make better use of the legal and normative wiggle rooms. As for the governance institutions, the latter are open to suggestions and there is a real readiness for dialogue. Planer report repeatedly of cooperation with governance institutions and that there are individual negotiations from case to case, hence from project to project in order to agree on what is possible and what not and on how a goal can be reached. However, the “trend from the exception to the rule” is also seen critically as there is always also the threat of discrimination.

In general, the current societal “attitude” regarding the question “what standards do we need?” is not inclined to the “minimal common denominator” but rather towards a concept of the “widest common diversity”.

Related Events

Form follows Rule

2017 Ausstellung 23.11.2017 | 10:00 - 04.04.2018 | 19:00 Architekturzentrum Wien | Museumsplatz 1

Whenever architects design buildings and city planners envision urban life, an increasing mass of regulations accompany them. Laws, regulations and standardised norms have become key factors in the design process, which ought to be grounds for public debate.

Cooperation Partners

Architekturzentrum Wien

Museumsplatz 1 im MQ
1070 Wien

Open Website