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A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Architectural Design, Urban Science, and Real Estate".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2021) | Viewed by 59323

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Zaida Muxí

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Guest Editor

Planning Department (DUOT), Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC _ Universitat Politècnica de CAtalunya), Barcelona, Spain
Interests: global cities; gender; feminism; human rights; housing projects; governance

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

After more than a hundred years of continuous attempts to procure affordable housing for everyone, we are still far from achieving this very important goal: Many people are still living in very poor conditions, and the right to housing has not been accomplished. In addition, we are facing a critical moment in history due to the COVID-19 pandemic and climate crisis, which are challenging housing models and the domestic space in an unprecedented manner.

Although this is not the first time that humanity has faced extreme situations, it nevertheless provides a good opportunity to rethink our environment and behavior and to re-imagine what the cities and housing of the future will look like.

How can cities and housing offer a better ecosystemic metabolism response? How can we adapt in the future to respond to these and other unpredictable emergencies? How can we build better and more equitable cities and houses? How can we guarantee equal access to the right to housing and right to the city?

Possible futures can be devised from the present but also through questioning the past and therefore exploring potential future utopias or dystopias.

Bearing in mind that human beings are interdependent and eco-dependent, we aim to reflect on better futures for all, incorporating research into different areas such as housing procurement, housing adaptation and flexibility, housing models and typologies, gender and social agendas, urban policies and governance or communities’ sovereignty.

Prof. Dr. Zaida Muxí
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Housing project
Housing and city rights
Utopia
Dystopia
Future housing
Future cities
Collective housing
Housing models and typologies
Housing policies
Gender agenda
Right to housing
Right to the city

Published Papers (12 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 5515 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Casa de la Asegurada: A Collective Housing Facility for Women Development in Mexico

by Lucía Martín López and Rodrigo Durán López

Buildings 2021, 11(6), 236; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/buildings11060236 - 31 May 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 4078

Abstract

While several women’s movements that aimed to modify their relationship with public space were taking place across the world, in 1956, the Mexican Social Security Institute founded the program Casa de la Asegurada, the subject of this study, as a tool for improving the social security of Mexican families through the input of cultural, social, artistic, and hygienic knowledge for women. The program’s facilities, Casas de la Asegurada, are located in the large Mexican housing complexes, articulating themselves to the existing city. Despite the impact on the lives of Mexican families, these have been ignored throughout the history of Mexican architecture. The main objective of this paper is to show the state of the art of Casa de la Asegurada and its facilities located in Mexico City. To achieve this, the greatest number available of primary sources on the topic was compiled through archive and document research. Sources were classified identifying information gaps to explain, in three different scales (program, facilities, and a case study), how they work through their objectives, performed activities, and evolved through time, so that the gathered information is analyzed with an urbanistic, architectural, and gender approach to contribute new ideas in the building of facilities that allow women empowerment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Architecture of Collective Housing)

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23 pages, 33141 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Co-Housing to Ease and Share Household Chores? Spatial Visibility and Collective Deliberation as Levers for Gender Equality

by Gérald Ledent and Chloé Salembier

Buildings 2021, 11(5), 189; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/buildings11050189 - 30 Apr 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 4018

Abstract

Dwelling is very much related to time. A home shields the dweller from outsiders yet, provides an opportunity to engage with the outside world. However, the time required for household chores tends to hinder this engagement, especially for women. Interestingly, co-housing projects tend to rationalise housing and mutualise time-consuming tasks, freeing up time to and thus emancipating and empowering inhabitants. This argument was put to the test in a field study in Brussels. Through a gendered perspective, the research questions and tries to identify which levers ease domestic drudgery in co-housing projects. Spatial analyses coupled with qualitative observations and interviews were carried out in two co-housing projects. The issue of freeing up time through co-housing seems particularly relevant to various categories of people. First, it addresses gender inequalities regarding an egalitarian sharing of household chores. Second, individual (divorced, elderly, or single) households could also benefit from these time savings. Understanding co-housing within this emancipating perspective could be a lever to influence future policy making and incentives. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Architecture of Collective Housing)

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19 pages, 4845 KiB

Open AccessArticle

New Housing Developments in the City Center of Guadalajara (Mexico): An Analysis from the Perspective of Collective and Sustainable Dwelling

by Alessandra Cireddu

Buildings 2021, 11(4), 168; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/buildings11040168 - 16 Apr 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3047

Abstract

New vertical housing developments in Guadalajara (Mexico) are reaching the city center as a response for redensification after many years of expansion of the urban area characterized by a suburban, low density and fragmented pattern. This horizontal growth, dominated by use of the automobile as prevailing mode of transport, has proven to be unsustainable not only from an environmental point of view, but also from a social perspective where the “human scale” of the city has been affected, same as the daily life of its inhabitants. On the other hand, vertical housing proposals are by their very nature associated with concepts of redensification, compact city and collective living; the aim of this article is to analyze some new housing developments in Guadalajara downtown in order to evaluate to what extent the new buildings embody a more sustainable, livable and collective dwelling, to discuss findings, successes and failures and thus be able to contribute some conclusions and open a broader reflection about contemporary housing, urban density and downtown redevelopment in Latin America cities through collective and sustainable dwelling. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Architecture of Collective Housing)

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28 pages, 9958 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Extending the Architecture of Collective Housing: Towards Common Worlds of Care

by María-Elia Gutiérrez-Mozo, José Parra-Martínez and Ana Gilsanz-Díaz

Buildings 2021, 11(4), 166; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/buildings11040166 - 15 Apr 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 7445

Abstract

This article addresses the question of collective housing from the standpoint of two key notions in the contemporary architectural debate: care and the commons. With this objective in mind, a series of analytical parameters are put forward. The aim is to contribute to broadening and qualifying our understanding of the production and management of the collective habitat. As an illustration of each of the ideas expounded in this this paper, insightful examples of recent Spanish architecture are specifically selected and commented, as well as two case studies chosen to elaborate upon their particularities. They all share the fact of being projects, partly or wholly, designed by women, a matter which has had particular relevance in the creation of more sensitive, diverse and integration of built environments. At a time of acute health, economic and social crisis, as well as isolation and insecurity, more than ever, there is an urgent need for inspirational new ways of living and thinking in common. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Architecture of Collective Housing)

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31 pages, 7408 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Crisis and Transition: Forms of Collective Housing in Brussels

by Alessandro Porotto and Gérald Ledent

Buildings 2021, 11(4), 162; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/buildings11040162 - 14 Apr 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4177

Abstract

Focusing on the Brussels urban environment, this paper investigates spatial mutations produced by key critical transitions to accommodate new social and living conditions for collective purposes. Using CAD re-drawings, a systematic comparison of residential schemes identifies the evolutionary mechanism that connects manifold changes in the city and domestic spaces. This analysis defines a genealogical framework to observe how specific residential archetypes have shaped Brussels’ sociocultural identity and distinguishes contemporary housing initiatives dealing with current and future challenges. While during the 19th century, interwar, and postwar periods, spatial features evolved from individual, single-family houses to residential schemes bearing collective, egalitarian dwellings, contemporary initiatives are relevant for their experimental solutions, translating into housing design new collective ways of living. This trajectory demonstrates that collective housing provides new insights for designing future types of urban housing. Brussels contemporary housing can shed light on the fact that current crises generated by urban issues, such as demographic growth, migratory and gentrification dynamics, affordability and the COVID-19 pandemic, are accelerating the transition towards the 21st-century city. Eventually, the Belgian capital now has the opportunity to combine two crucial questions, such as typological innovation and sustainability, to successfully approach the coming transition period from social and environmental perspectives. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Architecture of Collective Housing)

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20 pages, 10683 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Urban Quality Assessment of Public Housing Estates in Murcia, Spain (Vistabella 1940–1950s, La Paz 1960s, La Fama 1970s). Threats or Opportunities for the Medium-Sized Contemporary City?

by Antonio Jesús Martínez-Espinosa, Patricia Reus and Manuel Alejandro Ródenas-López

Buildings 2021, 11(4), 153; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/buildings11040153 - 06 Apr 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2262

Abstract

The public housing built under the Franco regime in Spain (1939–1975) brought about the largest urban growth in the country’s recent history. It shares similar characteristics with other public housing built in Europe during the 20th century, and today it houses a predominantly multicultural and socioeconomically precarious population. This study analyses and evaluates three estates that make up a new urban axis in the city of Murcia. The objective is to evaluate the benefits and shortcomings of these developments in order to establish rehabilitation plans, which will seek to improve the lives of their inhabitants and enhance their experience of the urban area from environmental, functional and interactive perspectives. The methodology used for this study is based on the application of three systems of indicators in order to obtain a quantitative and qualitative evaluation of each neighborhood. The quantitative analysis evaluates the urban area in terms of environmental sustainability, while the two qualitative systems explore the neighborhoods’ functionality and ability to instil a sense of attachment, and therefore responsibility, among their inhabitants. In its conclusions, the article provides concrete lines of action for updating and regenerating these residential areas that form a significant part of the city of Murcia. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Architecture of Collective Housing)

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20 pages, 4718 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

The Building as a Home: Housing Cooperatives in Barcelona

by Raül Avilla-Royo, Sam Jacoby and Ibon Bilbao

Buildings 2021, 11(4), 137; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/buildings11040137 - 26 Mar 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 6282

Abstract

The recent growth of cooperative housing in Spain questions existing design standards and regulations as well as cultural norms of ownership, management and current housing typologies. This paper analyzes the design opportunities and challenges emerging from this. It studies the transformative capacity of housing cooperatives and how the realization of new social, spatial and economic demands is restricted by regulatory and administrative frameworks that limit collective ownership and use. Based on a case study analysis of recent projects in Barcelona, the paper discusses how regulations condition housing design, but also why changing ideas of ownership, household and dwelling structures require a review of how regulations are formulated and implemented. It examines this in the context of designing with housing cooperatives and their ethos defined by engagement in and responsibility for all decision-making processes and self-management. In cooperative housing, architecture is a process, not a product, one that extends beyond the completion of a building. This gives credibility to the claim of cooperative housing not just as a grassroots response to housing failures, but also as a political project of democratization and social transformation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Architecture of Collective Housing)

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16 pages, 4188 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Critical Review of Public Policies for the Rehabilitation of Housing Stock: The Case of Barcelona

by Angel Uzqueda, Pilar Garcia-Almirall, Còssima Cornadó and Sara Vima-Grau

Buildings 2021, 11(3), 108; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/buildings11030108 - 09 Mar 2021

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3636

Abstract

This article reviews rehabilitation programs in Barcelona, focusing on aspects such as the intervention model, actual public investment, and results. Programs of this type are not exclusive to Barcelona; however, similar examples can be found in other European cities, especially where European Union (EU) funding is present. After analyzing these models, we reached a series of general conclusions that may be of interest. Thus, an eminently practical and reflective analysis is presented, aimed at technicians and those responsible for the design of intervention policies in urban regeneration. Rehabilitation programs are increasingly focused on vulnerable settings, and in this context, the participation and service function of public administrations are particularly relevant. The general model for rehabilitation subsidies rarely takes into account the specific characteristics of disadvantaged urban settings, as the article will show. After analyzing the different policies presented in this research, we identified two essential requirements: detailed knowledge of the affected neighborhood, and ongoing evaluation of the development of programs—beyond simple management indicators—so negative effects can be corrected in time such as gentrification, real estate speculation, and other by-products that the intervention itself can promote. This study confirms that not all public investments have the expected results. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Architecture of Collective Housing)

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23 pages, 5943 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Future Housing Identities: Designing in Line with the Contemporary Sustainable Urban Lifestyle

by Ana Nikezić, Jelena Ristić Trajković and Aleksandra Milovanović

Buildings 2021, 11(1), 18; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/buildings11010018 - 04 Jan 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 6871

Abstract

Over the past decade, urban housing typologies have evolved from being a feature of modern life to an essential postmodern issue, questioning future housing identities. One of the ways in which architecture can become engaged in this ever-changing process of urban regeneration is to challenge the inherited traditional housing typologies with the newly recognized values of contemporary lifestyle. This paper presents research and design aimed at exploring contemporary sustainable urban lifestyles as a resource for positioning housing structures as cultural urban infrastructure. The main focus of this study is design principles and strategies for generating future housing identities in accordance with sustainable urban development and sustainability of life in urban areas. It is about finding housing conceptual models for an interaction between housing and identity as a response to the impact of increased cities, changed lifestyles in contemporary cities and the requirements for the preservation of the city image and the public space within the housing areas in the city center. The main goal of this study is to understand whether and how an architectural design can preserve a sustainability of life within the city center and become a valuable agent of place identity in the process of urban regeneration. The paper indicates that the contemporary development of society requires a new architectural paradigm, in which lifestyle and architecture create a unique elastic open-ended system with the ability to adapt and change over time and throughout the place. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Architecture of Collective Housing)

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9 pages, 235 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Remaking Slums: International Examples of Upgrading Neighbourhoods

by Josep Maria Montaner

Buildings 2020, 10(12), 216; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/buildings10120216 - 26 Nov 2020

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3647

Abstract

The slum, self-constructed houses and neighbourhoods, signifies the dwelling and home for a very representative part of humanity. This text analyses the different typologies and the different possible and ethical strategies for foreseeing, for remaking and for the resettlement of these self-produced neighbourhoods. Some study cases and examples as references are presented, such as Solanda neighbourhood in Quito, Ecuador, and the Favela-Bairro programme in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This article is situated in the field of housing studies and focused specially on architectural issues. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Architecture of Collective Housing)

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23 pages, 3390 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Review on the Factors Affecting the Use of Offsite Construction in Multifamily Housing in the United States

by Sara Gusmao Brissi, Luciana Debs and Emad Elwakil

Buildings 2021, 11(1), 5; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/buildings11010005 - 24 Dec 2020

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4194

Abstract

The increasing demand for multifamily housing in the United States requires alternatives for building more affordable and sustainable housing to improve the quality of life for millions of families. Offsite construction (OSC) strategies may be a viable alternative for tackling this problem. Although the use of OSC is significant in the multifamily housing market in the world and it is also very promising in the US, a scarce amount of literature has focused on this topic. The purpose of this study is to identify specific factors that affect decisions on the use of OSC in multifamily housing in the US. Focusing on the sustainability dimensions of construction—social, environmental, and economic—the authors reviewed literature that was published between 2000 and 2019 and identified factors that are related to OSC adoption in general construction, in housing construction, and, more specifically, in multifamily housing construction in the US. Subsequently, a discussion on some important factors affecting decisions on the use of OSC in the American multifamily market is provided. The discussion focused on factors that, although important, have been under explored in the literature that addresses the use of OSC in multifamily projects, especially in the US, which are: customer’s attitude, building performance, and building comfort and indoor environmental quality (IEQ). In addition, a brief discussion regarding the importance of design to the uptake of OSC in multifamily projects is provided. This is one of the first studies dedicated to exploring the social, environmental, and economic factors that affect the use of OSC in multifamily housing in the US. The study also identifies research gaps, which serve as a roadmap for future research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Architecture of Collective Housing)

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22 pages, 2085 KiB

Open AccessEssay

Review of Design of Collective Housing in the 21st Century

by David Hernández Falagán

Buildings 2021, 11(4), 157; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/buildings11040157 - 11 Apr 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 5600

Abstract

This essay proposes a review of current trends in the design of collective housing projects. The method for the review is based on the observation of certain conditions of contemporary society that show an immediate influence on new habitat patterns. The concepts of uncertainty, scarcity and contingency are the catalysts for the observation, and conditions that provoke new diffuse scenarios for residential buildings. The concept of diffuse dwelling is identified here as the conjunction of three factors: non-permanent coexistence models, residential adaptation of the built environment, and non-hierarchical typological patterns. The review proposes a qualitative analysis questionnaire for the recognition of significant projects of this new residential paradigm. By tracing the EU Mies Award Archive, various examples have been identified that allow us to recognize common characteristics. The result of the analysis reveals how these parameters define a new paradigm in the design of collective housing based on collectivity, constructive resilience, and a new value of domesticity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Architecture of Collective Housing)

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