Austria's largest vocational school building grows climate-friendly
Learning as in professional life
Since the groundbreaking ceremony in April 2025, Austria's largest vocational school building has been rising on Edith-Piaf-Straße in the Pionierquartier. Eight Viennese vocational schools will come together under one roof here in 2028. Training is practice-oriented, in workshops and training shops modeled on real working life.
Cement with less clinker
A building generates CO₂ long before the first heating system is switched on. A large part of this is embedded in the concrete, especially in the cement that binds it together. For the Zentralberufsschule, a CEM II/C type cement is therefore used. It contains only about 50 to 64 percent clinker, which means significantly less of the fired base material responsible for most CO₂ emissions during production.
According to the contractors PORR and Apleona, around 5,000 tons of CO₂ have already been saved by the end of July 2026. Compared to the reference concrete of the Austrian Construction Technology Association, this represents a reduction of 58 percent. The importance of emissions in construction is also demonstrated by the Seestadt building standard aspern klimafit, where “CO₂-reduced building construction” is a dedicated criterion.
Geothermal energy for winter and summer
Once operational, the building will largely operate without fossil energy. Around 140 geothermal probes use the underground to provide heating in winter and cooling in summer. In addition, photovoltaic systems on the roofs generate part of the electricity on site.
Nelson-Mandela-Platz: climate-resilient hub in the northeast of Vienna
The new Nelson-Mandela-Platz at Aspern Nord station is one of the places where you can literally watch Seestadt taking shape. Where there was a construction site just a few years ago, a square has emerged that is a transport hub, meeting point, and climate solution all in one – making it an important gateway to Seestadt.
