FrauenWohnen

FrauenWohnen eG is a housing cooperative (Wohnungsbaugenossenschaft) based in Munich, Germany, founded in 1998. It grew out of the association FrauenWohnen e.V., which had been established three years earlier. The cooperative describes itself as the first women's housing and building cooperative in Munich ("1. Frauen Wohn- und Baugenossenschaft München"). Its stated purpose is to provide its members — referred to in the cooperative's own language as "Mitfrauen" (co-members, women) — with good, secure and socially responsible economic housing provision. A further goal is to keep real-estate ownership in women's hands. Only women may become members, but men are also allowed to live in the housing estates. FrauenWohnen operates as a rental cooperative (Vermietungsgenossenschaft). Its target groups are single people, women in early retirement with low incomes, and single parents. According to the German Wikipedia article, as of February 2015 the cooperative owned three housing estates. It is non-profit by statute (gemeinnützig) and has received several awards. The cooperative's first completed estate was built in the Messestadt Riem district of Munich and finished in 2007; construction had been accompanied since 2005 by the federal research programme ExWoSt (Experimenteller Wohnungs- und Städtebau) of the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Housing. Further buildings followed in Munich's Westend (completed 2013) and in Nordschwabing (occupied 2015). The Riem estate at Ingeborg-Bachmann-Straße comprises 49 residential units, was designed by the architecture firm Zwischenräume GmbH, is arranged around an inner courtyard, meets the passive-house energy standard, is fully barrier-free, and includes a communal room, a workshop and fitness room, a guest apartment, an office unit and a communal kitchen garden. Water is partly supplied via a well and a rainwater cistern, and a photovoltaic system contributes to electricity supply. The Westend estate at Westendstraße 74 a–d has 27 units, was also designed by Zwischenräume GmbH, and shares its courtyard design with the Munich cooperative Wogeno. The third estate, on the site of the former Funkkaserne on Domagkstraße (address Gertrud-Grunow-Straße), was to be ready for occupancy during 2015; it was built jointly with Wogeno, and of the total 80 units arranged around an inner courtyard, 42 belong to FrauenWohnen. Beyond housing, women of the cooperative wished to have a shared place of final rest and, through the association they founded, acquired 10 grave sites with space for 20 coffins and 80 urns on the Munich cemetery field they named "Gräberfeld Schiefe Kiefer". The cooperative has been recognised with several distinctions, including the 2007 Bayerischer Wohnungsbaupreis and Anita-Augspurg-Preis, the 2008 Deutscher Bauherrenpreis and Messestadt Riem Bauherrenpreis, a 2010 honorary prize of the City of Munich for good housing construction, living in old age and exemplary renovation, and a 2011 commendation within the German landscape architecture prize. In the laudatio of the 2008 Deutscher Bauherrenpreis, the jury praised the housing project as "exemplary in terms of organisational form, urban integration, grouping, financing, energy saving and design". On its official website, FrauenWohnen presents itself as the "1. Frauen Wohn- und Baugenossenschaft in München" and points visitors to its anniversary brochure for further information. Current notices on the site state that a vacant two-room apartment in Riem, subsidised under the EOF programme, is available, and that until further notice the cooperative is not accepting new co-members (Mitfrauen); women with an EOF registration certificate and at least 50 points may nevertheless register an interest. Enquiries can be directed to the administration by telephone or email.

FrauenWohnen eG was founded in 1998 as a Munich housing cooperative, emerging from the association FrauenWohnen e.V. that had been established three years earlier. Its purpose was to provide members — called "Mitfrauen" — with good, secure and socially responsible housing, and to keep real-estate ownership in women's hands. Membership is open only to women, although men may live in the estates. The cooperative is a rental cooperative (Vermietungsgenossenschaft) and is non-profit by statute. The first project planned was a house on the former barracks site at Ackermannbogen in Schwabing-West. For financial reasons this plan could not be realised. The cooperative's first completed estate was instead built in the Messestadt Riem district and finished in 2007. From 2005 the construction was accompanied by the federal research project ExWoSt (Experimenteller Wohnungs- und Städtebau) of the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Housing. The Riem estate at Ingeborg-Bachmann-Straße consists of 49 residential units and was designed by the architecture firm Zwischenräume GmbH. The building is arranged on four sides around an inner courtyard with public green spaces and private gardens. It meets the passive-house energy standard, is completely barrier-free, and includes a general community room, a workshop and a fitness room, a guest apartment, an office unit and a communal kitchen garden. Water supply is supplemented beyond the public network by a well and a rainwater cistern, and a photovoltaic system contributes to electricity supply. The accompanying research programme concluded that cooperatives relieve the state and municipalities by providing socially disadvantaged population groups not only with affordable housing but also by integrating them into society. In the laudatio of the 2008 Deutscher Bauherrenpreis, the jury honoured the housing project as "exemplary in terms of organisational form, urban integration, grouping, financing, energy saving and design". Further buildings followed. The estate at Westendstraße 74 a–d in Munich's Westend was completed in 2013 and consists of 27 residential units, also designed by Zwischenräume GmbH. This building stands in a rear-courtyard position and does not enclose the courtyard; the front building belongs to the Munich cooperative Wogeno, and the courtyard design is carried out by both cooperatives. The estate has a community room and a guest apartment and is barrier-free. The third estate, on the site of the former Funkkaserne on Domagkstraße, was to be ready for occupancy during 2015, with its address on Gertrud-Grunow-Straße. It was built jointly with Wogeno; of the total 80 residential units arranged around an inner courtyard, 42 belong to FrauenWohnen. This estate also includes community rooms and guest apartments. Beyond housing, women of the cooperative wished to have a shared place of final rest. Through the association they founded, they acquired 10 grave sites with space for 20 coffins and 80 urns on the Munich cemetery field they named "Gräberfeld Schiefe Kiefer". The cooperative has received several awards: the 2007 Bayerischer Wohnungsbaupreis and Anita-Augspurg-Preis; the 2008 Deutscher Bauherrenpreis and Messestadt Riem Bauherrenpreis; a 2010 honorary prize of the City of Munich for good housing construction, living in old age and exemplary renovation; and a 2011 commendation within the German landscape architecture prize. As of February 2015, according to the German Wikipedia article, the cooperative owned three housing estates. Its official website presents it as the "1. Frauen Wohn- und Baugenossenschaft in München" and notes that until further notice it is not accepting new co-members, though women with an EOF registration certificate and at least 50 points may register interest.

• 2015

  Third housing estate on the former Funkkaserne site (Gertrud-Grunow-Straße) ready for occupancy; 42 of 80 units belong to FrauenWohnen.

• 2013

  Second housing estate completed in Munich's Westend (27 units).

• 2011

  Commendation within the German landscape architecture prize.

• 2010

  Received honorary prize of the City of Munich for good housing construction, living in old age and exemplary renovation.

• 2008

  Awarded Deutscher Bauherrenpreis and Messestadt Riem Bauherrenpreis.

• 2007

  First housing estate completed in Messestadt Riem (49 units).

• 2007

  Awarded Bayerischer Wohnungsbaupreis and Anita-Augspurg-Preis.

• 2005

  Construction of the Riem estate accompanied by the federal ExWoSt research programme.

• 1998

  FrauenWohnen eG founded as a Munich housing cooperative, emerging from FrauenWohnen e.V.

• 1995

  Association FrauenWohnen e.V. founded, three years before the cooperative.

A non-profit, women-led housing cooperative in Munich providing affordable, barrier-free and energy-efficient rental housing, with the additional goal of keeping property ownership in women's hands.

• Wohnanlage Ingeborg-Bachmann-Straße, Messestadt Riem

  49 residential units, designed by Zwischenräume GmbH, passive-house standard, barrier-free, with community room, workshop, fitness room, guest apartment, office unit and communal garden.

• Wohnanlage Westendstraße 74 a–d

  27 residential units, designed by Zwischenräume GmbH, rear-courtyard position, courtyard shared with Wogeno, community room and guest apartment, barrier-free.

• Wohnanlage Gertrud-Grunow-Straße (former Funkkaserne site)

  Built jointly with Wogeno; 42 of 80 units belong to FrauenWohnen; includes community rooms and guest apartments.

1. 1frauenwohnen eG – 1. Frauen Wohn- und Baugenossenschaft Münchenfrauenwohnen.de
2. 2FrauenWohnen – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3FrauenWohnen – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org