JUST LIVING

Housing Models for the Future

This theme explores new typologies, sustainable solutions, densification and social inclusion in housing.

Concept

JUST LIVING focuses on what is probably the most ancient task of architecture: Housing. Standard housing typologies were designed around socio-demographic narratives, which today are out of date.  People are living longer, in broad-ranging and fluid household constellations, combining work and home, increasingly in more than one city and country, and mainly in urban contexts. Today’s cities, therefore, must meet the challenge to transform from a socially- and resource-conscious standpoint. There is an urgent need for flexible and affordable housing, (re-)constructed with climate-friendly, circular building materials.

The issue is thus to rethink the old housing typologies and to encourage an approach based on shared spatial requirements. At the same time, fresh concepts and strategies are necessary to address the imbalance between rural and urban areas and to provide the prerequisite structures for living spaces of equal value enabling inhabitants to stay in or return to the rural areas. 

How can concepts and new models for high urban quality, integrative, social, inter-generational and co-produced housing typologies be developed?

What is the new density of today? What does the urban fabric of the future look like? How can we adapt the configuration of historic developments to make them work today and tomorrow? Creating a thriving community requires new approaches to the housing programme, the tenants as well as the building process. How can architects and contractors support these to benefit the end result and overall housing market?