In Flanders, collective housing is gaining ground. Collective housing includes a wide spectrum of architectural and social models. The specific relationship between them strongly determines a degree of collectivity and complexity. Some (historical) collective housing models are more robust than others. They are more robust because from a long-term perspective they have been able to achieve a degree of collectivity, despite volatile circumstances such as changing residents background, group composition, ownership and management structure, political context, …
Within this research project, the thesis is put forward that the architectural model has (more than other parameters) a major impact on guaranteeing common use of space as a long-term socio-ecological gain.
Connecting socio-economical theory on the commons with architectural discourses on collective space, an analysis framework will be developed first. This framework can help us to understand the socio-spatial complexity behind collective housing in a more rigorous and inter-disciplinary way – as an anatomy of collectivity. Subsequently, a series of qualitative case studies on collective housing precedents will be conducted to investigate the relationship between the architectural model and other parameters. Accurate anatomical drawings will be used as both analysis and research communication tools.
Researcher: Glenn Lyppens
Period: 2013 - today
Supervisors: Tom Coppens, Stijn Oosterlynck
Fragile collective housing models: when the residents' cooperative of Sunnyside Gardens (NY) ceased to exist, the communal garden was parceled out
Robust collective living models