Siedlung Birkenweg is a cooperative housing development in Vaduz, Liechtenstein, and the first project of its kind in the country. Developed by Wohnbaugenossenschaft Liechtenstein (WBL), it introduced a housing model between renting and ownership: residents join the cooperative, contribute share capital and have a say in important decisions, while paying cost-based rent rather than buying their homes.18
The project was initiated by architect and real-estate economist Harald Beck, who identified a lack of affordable housing for middle-income households in Liechtenstein. Vaduz municipality supported the plan by making land available at Birkenweg, south of the town centre. The cooperative was founded on 21 March 2014, with the municipality among its founding members.31
Construction began on 13 April 2015, and residents moved in during March and April 2017.28 The development comprises two four-storey apartment buildings and 23 homes, ranging from 1.5 to 5.5 rooms. Shared facilities include a community room and a semi-public courtyard intended as a meeting place; the site also has an underground garage.21 The buildings were designed to the Minergie-A standard, and all 23 apartments had been allocated by completion.18
WBL’s activities centre on providing housing on financially accessible terms through cooperative ownership and member participation. Birkenweg established that approach in Vaduz and served as the organisation’s first completed housing scheme.31