Case Study: General conditions for the modernization of dwellings in the territory of the former GDR

Short Description

In July 1990, the GDR municipal housing administrations (KWV: kommunale Wohnungsverwaltungen) were converted into municipal housing companies and the stock of “nationally owned” (“volkseigen”) housing that the former KWVs had administered was transferred to those companies.

At the time, there were essentially three different types of housing owners:

- new private owners of residential buildings and those owners from former times that still remained, specifically, owner-occupied single-family dwellings or multi-family buildings;
- old housing construction cooperatives and those founded after 1948;
- local housing companies created from the KWVs in 1990 (there were also still some old housing construction sponsors from pre-1945 times, e.g. the churches).

Berlin correctly saw a valuable potential in the ca. 273,000 housing units in prefab buildings in the eastern section of the city, one whose value should be increased through structural adaptations to bring the housing up to modern standards.

Key Elements

Asset Management

 Situation of the Area in the early 1990ies Frankfurter Allee Süd (large housing estate)

- about 11.000 residents living in prefabricated buildings

- balanced social structure

- high need of (energy efficient) refurbishment of buildings

- unclear property situation

- lack of facilities for youth and elderly

- low cultural and economic vitality

- deficits in design of public green space

- deficits in design and condition of squares and streetscapes

- deficits in pedestrian path net

- deficits of parking spaces and deficits caused by parking

+ good location and connection of area close to city centre

+ sufficient offer of schools and kindergartens

+ good cooperation between Senate, district authority and housing societies Kaskelkiez (historic building area)

- about 2.500 residents mainly living in historic buildings

- relatively large amount of unemployment rate (19%) and households rated under minimum income (15%)

- neighbourhood conflicts

- very bad conditions of buildings (see abstract WP 4)

- unclear ownership situation

- lack of social infrastructure facilities

- low cultural and economic vitality

- deficit of square and street scapes

- bad condition of private open space (yards) + high quality of historic spatial structure and historic

Element, + good cooperation between Senate and district authority, + high potential of resident involvement

Needs for Action in the early 1990ies Qualifying the Potentials

- In Frankfurter Allee Süd the large amount of green space, the good supply of social infrastructure and the numerous numbers of large flats shall be improved.

- In order to qualify Kaskelkiez the traditional urban fabric and buildings are to be developed and improved.

- The surrounding non built-up space (tracks) of both areas shall be used in order to minimise deficits in greenery.

- Positive beginnings of civil involvement and institutional cooperation need to be proceeded and cultivated.

Reducing and Abolishing the Constraints

- The greatest challenge is the refurbishment of the building stock. From a today's perspective the need of energetic refurbishment is an important dimension of refurbishment.

- In terms of the "unbalanced" social structure the deprived persons are to be supported by measures like active employment policy or educational measures.

- Urban and legal conditions need to be prepared to tackle

the low cultural and economic vitality of both areas.

- The lack of social facilities needs to be compensated. School and kindergarten buildings have to be refurbished.

- Public green and open space need to be improved, especially in terms of design, maintenance and furnishing.

The number and furnishing of playgrounds need to be enhanced respectively improved. Private open space shall be unsealed and enriched with vegetation.

- Flat and plot ownership needs to be clarified as soon as possible in order to initiate private refurbishment and to define responsibility.

Funding

Out of a total investment of 1047.27 million euros, 574.18 million had already been carried out in the 1994-99 period. The remaining measures required funds in the amount of 473.09 million euros.

According to the calculations of Berlin’s Senate Department for Urban Development, around 5.5 billion euros had been invested in the rehabilitation of housing units in East Berlin prefab buildings under this strategy by 2005. Average rehabilitation investments were cited at €20,000 per unit however, some housing had greater investment requirements. Funds from a special programme of the Land of Berlin were drawn on for 60,000 residential units. Financing of the total investment can thus be broken down as follows:

Total investment for measures under this strategy in the 1995-2005 period was ca. 5.5 billion euros.

Federal funds issued (subsidized interest-rate loans from KfW) for ca. 260,000 units, at max. €250 /m² res. space, reached an estimated total of ca. 4.5 billion euros. The Land of Berlin supplied interest subsidies for 60,000 units in a total of ca. 0.5 billion euros.

The companies had to bear the remaining costs at a total of ca. 0.5 billion euros. Added to that were the investments made by the housing companies before 1995 and after 2005, and also their investment for “additional measures” to improve housing quality that were not eligible for subsidies, so that the calculated value of €400 /m² residential space may have been exceeded in some cases.

Main Results

Balance of the Achievements until Today Frankfurter Allee Süd

- residential buildings: refurbishment of housing stock completed by 100%

- public green and open space: practicable allocation of public and private green, greening of main street and design of new green corridor

- transport infrastructure: traffic calming, rearrangement of parking lots and improvement of path network

- social and cultural infrastructure: construction of new neighbourhood centre, not all facilities refurbished yet

- commercial and industrial uses: stagnating development of commercial activities, no redensification by new commercial buildings

- stakeholder cooperation: good cooperation between housing associations and public authorities

- social measures: realisation of several educational and labour market-oriented projects part-financed by the EU Kaskelkiez

- residential buildings: refurbishment of housing completed by more than 60%, construction of 323 new flats

- public green and open space: construction and redesign of (new) playgrounds and green spaces, greening of streets

- transport infrastructure: traffic calming, reconstruction of road surface and pavements, renewal of public squares

- social and cultural infrastructure: new neighbourhood centre and cultural centre, fulfilment of demand for kindergartens by 100%, refurbishment of school building

- commercial and industrial uses: stepwise increase of number of shops, cafés, arts and crafts enterprises

- stakeholder cooperation: intensive communication process by formal committees, informal meetings and publications

- social measures: several educational and labour market oriented projects part-financed by the EU, civic involvement through discussions, workshops and competitions

Energy-related renovation actions at Kaskelkiez Initial situation

 ‐ Partially desolated structural condition, as well as poor energy condition

‐ Unsettled ownership situations complicate restoration activity (restitution claims)

‐ Fragmented ownership structure, approximately 20 % owner-occupied

‐ Historical monument protection, or restoration and conservation statutes limit energy related renovation

Kaskelkiez Actions

‐ Replace decentralised heat generators (stove heating / gas outer wall heating),

Installed central heating equipment with modern low temperature / condensation boilers, almost

completely based on natural gas

‐ Occasional installation of storey-level gas heating per housing unit (via residents renovation programme in the 1990s)

‐ Installation of central hot water equipment during total renovation

‐ Renovation of leaky roofs, to some extent with insulation of the top ceiling

‐ Insulation of the roof during loft conversions to extend residential use

‐ Insulation of the lowest ceiling / basement ceiling

‐ Replacement/Refurbishing of old wood windows

‐ Renovation of the facades (stucco facades) without insulation in the case of historical monument protection

‐ Insulation of only rear facade surfaces (courtyard or side wing) in the case of buildings protected as historical monuments or with restoration/conservation statutes

‐ Application of renewable energy sources for particular properties:

4 properties with solar thermal energy

1 property with photovoltaic technology

1 property with a biomass furnace (pellets)

Energy-related renovation actions at Frankfurter-Allee-Süd

Initial Situation

‐ Buildings constructed from prefabricated components show defects in the facade (outer walls/windows), as well as in the technical equipment (defective condition / dimensioning / adjustment)

‐ Initial situation in terms of energy parameters clearly better than at Kaskelkiez

‐ Ownership situations for the most part clarified (restitution claims excluded for prefabricated residential buildings))

‐ Buildings are the property of a few larger owners (housing associations/cooperatives), by whom mainly complex renovations were implemented

Energy-related Actions Frankfurter Allee Süd

‐ Renovation of the district heating feed point stations, including hot water preparation

‐ Installation of thermostatic valves as well as consumption-based billing

‐ Replacement of the single-pipe heating equipment by twin-pipe equipment in the process of complex renovation

‐ Renovation of the supply equipment (ventilation, cold/hot water distribution, electric distribution) in

the process of complex renovation projects

‐ Insulation of the hot water / circulation lines to reduce distribution losses

‐ Complex renovation of building types:

P2/11 (mainly 1995-98)

WBS 70

WHH GT (1998-2000 and 2005/2006) including

- heat insulation of the facades

- heat insulation of the lowest / top ceilings

- window replacement

- renovation of the building supply equipment

‐ Maintaining district heating supply

‐ Partial renovation of a school and day-care

‐ Renovation of a sports hall in 2010 within the framework of a stimulus programme

‐ One combined heat and power unit by heating station in the low-energy building

Lessons learned