5 Scenarios for Hawai’i: Tangible Representatives and Possible Future Visions Considering Various Social, Economic, Political, and Climatic Aspects

The city of Vienna with its social housing system, the Viennese model, has had a pioneering role worldwide for almost a century. Social housing in Vienna is well integrated into the city, the social blending works well within subsidized buildings.

But what about social housing in the US - a country based on a completely different social order - compared to Austria? The thesis starts with a thorough analysis of both systems. It will be examined whether the Viennese model, which was developed from a basic socialist idea, can be adapted for a capitalist system and if so, how.

The focus lies on strategies for the design and implementation of sustainable as well as experimental forms of housing. The goals for the designs in Chicago and Hawaii might be gentle recompressions to the city or landscape. Punctual interventions, which span like a net over a certain area, are possible also. The goal is to create alternative forms of life, which could use part of the landscape instead of isolated ghettos on the outskirts of the city.

The challenge is to compare a former industrial city in the Midwest and an island chain in the Pacific Ocean and respond specifically to it. Both places are located in the same country and are subject to the same political, economic and social parameters. On the other hand, they could not be more different.

As a result of this diploma thesis an analysis of both systems as well as a design for the both locations should be available.