The Architecture of Collective Housing

Dear Colleagues,

After more than a hundred years of continuous attempts to procure affordable housing for everyone, we are still far from achieving this very important goal: Many people are still living in very poor conditions, and the right to housing has not been accomplished. In addition, we are facing a critical moment in history due to the COVID-19 pandemic and climate crisis, which are challenging housing models and the domestic space in an unprecedented manner.

Although this is not the first time that humanity has faced extreme situations, it nevertheless provides a good opportunity to rethink our environment and behavior and to re-imagine what the cities and housing of the future will look like.

How can cities and housing offer a better ecosystemic metabolism response? How can we adapt in the future to respond to these and other unpredictable emergencies? How can we build better and more equitable cities and houses? How can we guarantee equal access to the right to housing and right to the city?

Possible futures can be devised from the present but also through questioning the past and therefore exploring potential future utopias or dystopias.

Bearing in mind that human beings are interdependent and eco-dependent, we aim to reflect on better futures for all, incorporating research into different areas such as housing procurement, housing adaptation and flexibility, housing models and typologies, gender and social agendas, urban policies and governance or communities’ sovereignty.

Prof. Dr. Zaida Muxí
Guest Editor

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