Otto Kapfinger – författare

Vienna’s first reinforced concrete buildings were built around 1900. Their skeleton construction enabled wide-span spaces with high load-bearing capacity and made innovative multi-purpose buildings possible: residential and commercial buildings with loft-like wings, as well as theaters, cinemas, and factories. These were the scenes of accelerated urbanization. This book is the first to document the development of this pioneering building technology, implemented by master builders, designed by engineers and architects, and brought to fruition by determined clients. Around 90 buildings are analyzed in the book – from relatively unknown structures to icons of Viennese architecture – illustrating the spatial flexibility and construction quality of reinforced concrete and shedding new light on fin de siècle architecture in Vienna. 90 buildings from the pioneering years of reinforced concrete construction in Vienna From Viennese icons to lesser-known architectural gems Exhibition at the Wien Museum from May 22 to September 28, 2025

For over 25 years, Martin Rauch has been at the forefront of research and development in all aspects of rammed earthed construction. As proper design with earth can only come from truly understanding the material, he would now like to share his experience and knowledge of this construction material in a design manual. The publication goes beyond projects to focus on structural elements, such as the design and layout of floors, walls, ceilings and openings, which are clearly explained with detailed project information from structures previously realised by Martin Rauch. Various examples help to illustrate how to overcome structural engineering difficulties in earth construction and the design possibilities that result from these solutions. Essays about earth as a material and its particular aspects in the areas of building biology, building physics and construction permits complete this fundamental work. - Martin Rauch's experience of over 25 years of practical application in earth construction- From design details and craftsmanship to prefabrication and industrial production- A wide range of various solutions for specific design tasks using completed structures as examples