Collaborative designing of communities. Helsinki and zurich pioneers

Abstract

High costs of housing, duality of tenancy generating the impossibility to access adequate housing, a high expenditure of salary dedicated to rent and building design not linked to the real needs of the users are causing an urgent search for alternative housing models. The empirical research presented in this article is intended to identify alternative housing management and spatial distribution through democratic design in an era of shortage in affordable housing provision. The article focuses on two pioneers’ case-studies: “Casa Malta”, a multigenerational cohousing in Helsinki and “Genossenschaft Kalkbreite”, a non-profit hybrid cooperative in Zurich, both developed in 2010 decade. The main key points analysed are the human-centred design through participative processes, the shared spaces and the housing policies adopted. These two projects highlight their ability to create an affordable model for urban development perceiving housing as a collective process, affordable living, gender equality and reducing the speculation in housing as basic need. This research aimed to identify the key points of these alternative approaches for housing.