Press Release:Project SOLEY celebrates groundbreaking ceremony

The real estate developer STRABAG Real Estate (SRE) celebrated the laying of the foundation stone for the Soley climate and energy efficiency showcase project on April 19, 2024 together with representatives of the general contractor STRABAG, Harald Oissner from WGA ZT, Brigittenau district head Christine Dubravac-Widholm and representatives of the press. At Leystrasse 122–126 in Vienna's 20th district, 53 privately financed condominiums with 34 underground parking spaces, a fitness room, a children's and youth playroom and attractive outdoor facilities will be built by June 2025. "Our Soley new-build project heralds a new era of sustainable construction. For the first time, we are using RCC concrete on a STRABAG Real Estate construction site, thereby significantly reducing CO2 emissions during construction. This is an important step towards environmental protection and important for the future," says Erwin Größ, STRABAG Real Estate Managing Director Austria.

Focus on sustainability: RCC, PV and groundwater heat pump

The Soley is considered a modern and climate-friendly new-build project and boasts a wide range of sustainable technologies. The Austrian research study RCC2 (Reduced Carbon Concrete), which was carried out by a cross-industry consortium, investigated the potential of innovative concrete mix designs for the decarbonization of concrete. The performance concrete reacts differently in terms of strength in the summer and winter test series. For this purpose, Doka has developed a functional prototype of an intelligently heatable formwork that provides additional early strength at low temperatures. "The RCC research project has shown us ways in which we will be able to establish CO2-reduced or even climate-neutral concrete as the new state of the art in the construction industry in the future. The test results have been very promising and have convinced us to apply these findings to our Soley climate showcase project. This CO2-reduced performance concrete enables us to save around 25% of CO2 during construction," states Maximilian Schwarzbauer, STRABAG Real Estate Project Manager Residential Construction. "STRABAG is actively looking for climate-friendly alternatives for concrete construction through research projects and partnerships with concrete manufacturers. The aim is to increase the use of CO2-reduced concrete and to drive progress forward together with clients. This is in line with our corporate strategy of achieving climate neutrality by 2040. With its ecological building concept, the Soley is a showcase project for the sustainable construction of the future," explains Matthias Loimayr, Managing Director of STRABAG AG and Commercial Division Manager for Austria. The Soley also relies on a sophisticated system when it comes to energy supply: A photovoltaic system with buffer storage provides clean energy and reduces operating costs. In order to be independent of fossil fuels in the long term, the building's own groundwater heat pump is used. Component activation will enable future residents to heat and air-condition their apartments efficiently.

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