VinziRast am Land
by gaupenraub+/-
Mayerling, Austria
Project details
Year
2025
Project year
2023
site area
20.000 m²
insight
project website
Location
Team credits
architects
- gaupenraub+/- -
Alexander Hagner,
Ulrike Schartner,
Laura Jager,
Iris Kato,
Alexander Pichler.
contributing partners
Forum Quality Paving,
HTL Mödling,
Sonnenkraft GmbH,
Strabag SE,
Winkhaus,
People from VinziRast.
commissioned by
Vinzenzgemeinschaft St. Stephan
Located in Mayerling, Austria, VinziRast am Land transforms the former luxury Hotel Hanner – once a retreat for the wealthy – into an inclusive residential and working community for people on the margins of society. Surrounded by the Vienna Woods, just 30 minutes outside the capital, the site now houses 77 beds in a complex that also includes workshops, communal kitchens and generous outdoor spaces. The project aims not only to provide accommodation but also to foster dignity, collaboration and belonging.
The concept follows the principle of form follows resource, reimagining architecture as a process shaped by existing materials, social relationships and local participation. Rather than treating the building as an object, the architects conceived it as a living system – continually adapted by its users. Every aspect of design and organization, from the layout of shared spaces to the governance of daily life, is inclusive and transparent, ensuring that all residents, volunteers and guests participate equally in shaping their environment.
Spanning 2.7 hectares, the site combines domestic, agricultural and communal functions. Alongside the main residential building, it includes a 700 m² glasshouse for growing vegetables, a stable with aviaries for chickens and a permaculture garden that allows formerly homeless residents to cultivate their own food. The paved courtyard, built with donated materials, acts as the heart of the community – an outdoor living room that hosts markets, farm festivals and social events.
The design process itself became a social tool. Located in a small rural settlement, the project faced initial scepticism from neighbours. To foster acceptance, the team organized a flea market and festival before construction began, inviting locals to participate. This open exchange gradually transformed resistance into active support, attracting volunteers from nearby villages rather than distant cities. Over time, VinziRast am Land became an integrated part of its rural context, illustrating how architecture can serve as a bridge between social worlds.
Sustainability and circularity underpin every aspect of the project. The team replaced the old oil heating system with a woodchip boiler, installed photovoltaic panels and introduced a rainwater collection system that irrigates the gardens. Asphalted areas were removed to restore permeability, while the reuse of materials – bricks, timber and stone – minimized waste. A striking example of this approach is the chicken coop: designed and built collaboratively by residents, teachers and students using salvaged timber from a dismantled barn. Its roof, fitted with solar panels, generates energy for the entire site, and its chickens provide both fertilizer and food for the community.
At its core, VinziRast am Land challenges the conventional boundaries between architecture, care and community. It demonstrates that housing for vulnerable people need not be provisional or utilitarian – it can be generous, joyful and ecologically intelligent. By transforming a symbol of privilege into a space of solidarity, the project redefines the meaning of luxury as shared dignity and belonging.
The architects behind the project, gaupenraub+/–, bring over three decades of experience in creating empathetic, resource-conscious architecture that improves living conditions for people, animals and plants alike. Their practice thrives on transforming limitations into opportunities, designing with sensitivity, creativity and respect for the existing fabric. VinziRast am Land, developed with the non-profit organization VinziRast, exemplifies their belief that architecture can – and must – be a social act.
The prize money will fund four interconnected initiatives promoting inclusive and socially responsible design. These include the development of an inclusive hotel in collaboration with Integration Wien; participatory design for a village for homeless people in Klagenfurt with Caritas; the creation of a digital toolkit on building for marginalized groups; and the integration of landscape design at VinziRast am Land to strengthen its long-term social and ecological quality. Together, these projects extend the architects’ mission: to cultivate spaces where care, collaboration and sustainability coexist.
- Information for the project text was provided by gaupenraub+/- -
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Advisory Committee Statement
‘VinziRast am Land’ receives the award for Social Architecture for its innovative approach to housing vulnerable groups, including the homeless, while reusing existing buildings and rural structures. The project tackles the urgent issue of affordable housing in a humble yet profound way, revealing the essential work architects can do when there is no commercial incentive. With great sensitivity, gaupenraub+/– transforms a former luxury hotel into a living community – providing both housing and opportunities for reintegration and inclusion. This is architecture as social practice: modest in expression yet radical in impact. For over two decades, gaupenraub+/– has addressed Europe’s housing crisis through grounded, socially conscious projects such as VinziRast-mittendrin and VinziDorf Wien, alongside work on circular construction, permaculture and dementia care. By combining reuse, participation and local knowledge, their architecture demonstrates how design can address complex ecological and societal challenges – quietly but powerfully.