Date: August – December 2023
Berlin: A 21st Century Model for a Cooperative and Just City
Pratt Institute, School of Architecture
The Aedes Metropolitan Laboratory hosted Pratt’s 2023 Fall Berlin Architecture program, featuring a studio and two seminars. The program’s focal point was the exploration of Berlin’s innovative strategies for public space and housing. The curriculum underscored the development of solutions that are not only innovative but also just, with a keen focus on enhancing collective urban life.
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In the fall semester of 2023, Pratt’s Berlin Architecture program unfolded at the Aedes Metropolitan Laboratory. Throughout the semester, students delved into Berlin’s distinctive urban histories, exploring housing typologies, cooperatives, alternative communities, cultural events, and public spaces. The program addressed the city’s current struggles with gentrification and free access. A significant focus was placed on cooperative housing, inspired by Berlin’s response to an affordable housing crisis. Students examined over 220 cooperatives in the city center alone, understanding how these models prioritize diversity, participation, and public space.
The curriculum incorporated site visits, architectural practice exploration, and studies of Berlin’s urban history, emphasizing progressive housing from different eras. Students used cartographic resources to analyze Berlin’s unique urban fabric, considering voids shaped by political history. The semester concluded with students presenting manifestos and videos outlining their chosen sites, addressing questions about program permanence, flexibility, shared spaces, diversity, and cultural considerations.
What if..
”we mitigate the risk of gentrification through a focus on collective living?
Studio Coordinators
Prof. Dagmar Richter
