SchloR Schöner leben, founded in 2015, is a self-managed collective project based in Vienna’s Simmering district. The group, originally a circle of friends with artistic, technical, and academic backgrounds, acquired a 3,100-square-metre former carpentry workshop in 2019. Today, SchloR operates as a non-profit housing and co-work cooperative, focusing on affordable, solidary, and collective living and working spaces outside traditional real estate speculation.
SchloR consists of three main components: residential units, creative workspaces (called Creatives@Rappachgasse or CRAP), and a training centre for circus and other physical arts (TRAP). As of recent reporting, the project has provided space for 18 residents and significant communal infrastructure, including seminar and event rooms, workshops, rehearsal studios, a 500-square-metre training hall, shared gardens, guest apartments, and a sauna.
The group is a member of habiTAT, the Austrian branch of the Mietshäuser Syndikat, and operates with a self-governance model. Their financing is based on direct loans and community support, explicitly rejecting conventional bank loans. The buildings were refurbished and partially constructed using ecological methods such as straw bale and timber construction. The collective welcomes neighbourhood participation by making venues available for non-profit and cultural activities.
SchloR received a special award at the 2025 wienwood Vienna Timber Construction Awards for its multi-purpose, community-oriented, and sustainable design. The project’s approach intends to foster culture, creativity, and solidarity in an area of Vienna with limited communal free space.