On Thursday, 29 September 2022, in excellent autumn weather, the keys were handed over for “Orchidea”, the first completed component of BUWOG’s Kennedy Garden project. Together with Michaela Schüchner, manager of Vienna's 14th district, BUWOG Group GmbH Managing Director Andreas Holler symbolically handed the key to their new home over to the first residents. Just a few minutes’ walk from Schönbrunn, BUWOG has developed the large-scale Kennedy Garden project in lovely Penzing. The property between Penzinger Straße, Diesterweggasse and Cumberlandstraße comprises a total of 512 residential units distributed across six architecturally individual building components and offers an impressive new residential environment. 124 residential units were created as part of the Vienna Housing Initiative and ensure that Kennedy Garden provides residential space for all budgets.

Residents of the project will benefit from the area’s advantageous infrastructure. There are kindergartens and schools in the immediate vicinity, while facilities for daily needs such as local shops, pharmacies and restaurants are within walking distance, for example in Hietzing. Kennedy Garden is also a success regarding accessibility: the Penzing suburban train station is practically right at the doorstep, and the U4 Hietzing station as well as numerous bus and tram lines can be reached on foot in mere minutes.

“BUWOG is very proud to have developed such an attractive and forward-looking project here in Penzing. After two years of construction, we are very pleased that the first rental apartments in the "Orchidea" component are now ready for occupancy,” says Andreas Holler.

Michaela Schüchner adds: “Penzing is to remain a district where there is room for everyone, thus we still need affordable housing. That’s why I think it’s great that Kennedy Garden offers a good mix of privately financed and subsidised housing."

Flagship project for a social mix

The wide range of housing at Kennedy Garden will also be reflected in the diversity of future residents. In addition to condominium and rental apartments in various price segments, rentals in accordance with the Vienna Housing Initiative will also be developed in “Orchidea”. Planned by the architectural firm clemens kirsch architektur, the “Orchidea” component not only stands out because of its modern design, but due to its concept, which focuses on social sustainability. Specially designed for single parents, this component involves an inclusive architectural design with a variety of common rooms based on the growing need for social interaction. The 124 compact apartments are distributed across eight floors and grouped around an interior courtyard open to the south. Good neighbourly relations and opportunities for social interaction are particularly important for single parents. In order to accommodate this need, a meeting area for residents with a kitchenette, a laundry room and an exercise room are integrated into the building on the ground floor. The park between the project’s individual components is also designed to meet a variety of needs and is particularly family-friendly. It offers quiet zones as well as many play and leisure facilities for children and young people.

Green environment and mobility concept

The specific innovative potential of Kennedy Garden lies in its forward-looking interspersing of premium, attractive housing with a high level of sustainability, various opportunities to use green areas and every advantage of urban living. Andreas Holler: “Thus the project is also a response to the challenges facing urban housing in an era of climate change, to growing pollution and to increasingly dense development. A central maxim is that climate protection and our personal well-being are not separately conceivable. This is the Kennedy Garden experience.”

In the complex, spacious green areas featuring lush vegetation will be created. The intensive and extensive plantings will ensure positive microclimatic effects due to shading and greater humidity and enhance residents’ sense of well-being. The green environment provides cooling on hot days, and the rooftop greening repels heavy rainfall while providing pleasant areas to relax. At the same time, the plantings provide an important contribution to greater biodiversity in the city. The project has already been awarded the Greenpass certificate for the green space design, and the goal is now to be awarded the klimaaktiv certificate in silver.

Today, mobility plays a major role in sustainable and environmentally friendly urban living, and it will continue to do so in the future. For this reason, extensive bicycle parking facilities are planned throughout the Kennedy Garden site. As is already standard in most new BUWOG projects, charging stations are also available.