Open AccessSustainable Communities as a Response to Climate Change: Analysis of Geroldsäcker Eco-Housing Project and Recommendations for its Replication Considering Current Urban Challenges
Author(s) -
B. Kasih,
Katsuhito Nohara,
L. Zerbst,
Rocksel Andry V. Javier
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
iop conference series. earth and environmental science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.179
H-Index - 26
eISSN - 1755-1307
pISSN - 1755-1315
DOI - 10.1088/1755-1315/396/1/012013
Subject(s) - sustainability , settlement (finance) , constructive , environmental planning , environmental resource management , architectural engineering , business , geography , engineering , ecology , economics , computer science , finance , process (computing) , payment , biology , operating system
Geroldsäcker eco-housing is a unique project located in the northeast of Karlsruhe, in a 1.24-hectare plot with constructed area of 5.600m 2 . The planning of the project started in year 1989 and its completion happened in 1992. It is composed of 40 residence units: apartments and 3 store row-houses with private garden. The initial concept was an ecological settlement with common infrastructure and spaces for human interaction, using constructive ecological materials and devices for the residences and common areas. The community living sense is one of this project’s highlights. The 120 residents not only share common spaces, such as a community house destined to events and practice of activities, but also developed task groups to cover all necessary workspaces in the settlement. What can be observed nowadays is that Geroldsäcker, even being implemented 3 decades ago, presents several important sustainability aspects in the ecological, social and economic dimensions. What started as a pilot project at a time when the definition of sustainability was still under discussion, can be considered a model not only of sustainable housing, but also as a broader model for sustainable communities. This paper explores the aspects identified in Geroldsäcker eco-housing project leading towards a sustainable community concept. Potentialities and improvement points are analysed, considering current urban challenges, such as high demand and costs for land, lack of public land for experimental projects, efforts to stimulate bottom up processes, the behaviour of current generations, the need for new and environmental friendly constructive patterns, and how to aggregate stakeholders to boost new models of sustainable communities projects.