The global housing crisis has created an urgent need for housing worldwide, especially in urban centers where 80% of the world’s population is housed. In the race to build more homes faster, many important factors are being overlooked including community, identity, and liveability. From city to city the context differs dramatically, but the problem is universal: How do we ensure that the design of housing will enhance inhabitants’ wellbeing and quality of life?

How can urban collective housing be more liveable?

As part of the 6th edition of Time Space Existence organized by the European Cultural Centre in Italy, Reconceptualizing Urban Housing is being exhibited during the Venice Biennale from May 20th to November 26th, 2023. The exhibition brings together a group of women-led practices from around the globe with unique perspectives on collective housing, primarily in or near urban areas. The diverse range of projects exhibited not only showcase best practices in Europe and North America, but also in developing nations such as Uganda, Malaysia and Mexico, exploring diversity in building typology, climate, and economic and cultural factors, while embodying a shared commitment to social and environmental sustainability.

The selected projects showcase new thinking around housing - they take a bold approach to liveability, exploring the balance of communal and private, design for social connection, adaptability, identity and agency, optimization of natural light and ventilation, integration of landscaping and urban farming, and access to outdoor spaces, while remaining unique to each local context and demographic. Together and in different ways, they redefine what collective housing can be and how it can support liveability for its inhabitants.