ABSTRACT
In Berlin, block housing was an early housing form that eventually evolved into a typology synonymous with the city. The three types of block housing most visible in the city are perimeter block, linear block, and block-edge. There were three distinct periods in Berlin’s housing and urban planning history that used the block housing type: Berlin Housing Estates in the 1920s, and two international building exhibitions, Internationale Bauausstellung (IBA) in 1957 and IBA 1987.
The perimeter block building type is a single development that occupies a city block; corresponds to individually developed parcels of land; conforms to street pattern, height, and depth; can be single entity or fragmented; and has a communal courtyard and ground floor that can be zoned for retail. The linear block building is linear in shape; stands free from adjacent buildings; appears to be autonomous object; incorporates cost-effective slab building construction; and comprises a large number of dwelling units. Block-edge is a single development that completes one portion of an existing urban block or defines formerly undeveloped block edges, and shares the same characteristics as perimeter block typology.
The projects from these three movements are commendable examples of the building reform movements that improved housing for the masses through novel approaches in town planning, architecture, and landscaping. The developments opened up discussions on societal and housing policies and actions, and the architects shaped and influenced housing ideas and designs in Germany and other parts of the Western world.
