The International Day of Cooperatives, celebrated on the first Saturday of July each year, is an opportunity to raise awareness and celebrate the cooperative movement. Celebrated on this day by the United Nations since 1992, the cooperative movement is a social and economic movement empowering individuals and communities by creating enterprises that are collectively owned and democratically controlled by members. This year's theme is “Cooperatives: Partners for Accelerated Sustainable Development.” Underscoring the critical role cooperatives play in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, it also emphasizes the unique typology of cooperatives in exploring new ways of living together. With a belief in community growth, cooperatives believe in communal development, prioritizing people and supporting them to improve collective well-being.
In architecture, the various co-living models adapted from the cooperative movement have become an enormous success over the past few decades, providing a new format of cost-effective social housing. The cooperative movement and the co-living concept intersect deeply in their shared values of community, collaboration, and sustainability. This month’s Curated Collection explores different European co-living projects, each with its unique framework application. From a social rental housing project in The Netherlands to a housing cooperative with a participatory process in Switzerland, each selected project unfolds a unique narrative of community engagement, sustainability, and new models of living together.
Read on to discover four colliding European projects that challenge the traditional understanding of residential architecture.
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Maximized Density: How Co-Living Spaces Do More with LessLa Balma Collective Housing / Lacol + LaBoqueria
The La Balma project in Poblenou, Barcelona, embodies co-living and the cooperative movement by addressing the city’s affordable housing crisis through a cooperative housing model. The development also involved a participatory process, where future residents played an active role in the design and planning stages. Furthermore, the apartments are each designed from a grid of 16m2 open-plan pieces, allowing for different divisions and distributions. This enables each resident to customize their living spaces to suit their needs, promoting long-term adaptability. This project’s cooperative model also ensures that the housing remains affordable, with a maximum quota set according to legislation, which is significantly lower than the average rental price in Barcelona.
Cooperative Housing Feld4 / MASStudio
The Feld 4 housing cooperative celebrates co-living through its participatory planning process, encouraging intensive neighborly interaction. This project’s cooperative model supports diverse lifestyles and long-term development with adaptable apartments that cater to various needs, ensuring a resilient living environment that adapts to its residents. Additionally, the project showcases this sustainable framework by combining the "solid core" with the facade and roof closed in by a timber construction shell. The design showcases this flexibility by keeping the facade’s industrial look and contrasting it with natural wooden elements, paying homage to the site’s history while promoting ecological design.
Coop Housing at River Spreefeld / Carpaneto Architekten + Fatkoehl Architekten + BARarchitekten
This Coop Housing project exemplifies the core values of the cooperative movement through its commitment to community, sustainability, and affordability. Developed collaboratively, the project involves residents in both the design and the construction processes, fostering a sense of shared responsibility and ownership. It offers diverse and adaptable living arrangements and clusters of apartments to encourage social interaction and cooperation among residents. By integrating public amenities and spaces into the design, the project also strengthens its ties to the surrounding neighborhood. The project also showcases affordable, staggered rent structures that ensure long-term housing stability for a diverse, multigenerational population.
Housing Coöperation de Warren / Natrufied Architecture
As Amsterdam’s first self-build housing cooperative, De Warren features 36 apartments dedicated to social and affordable rental housing. Designed as an energy-positive building and through the use of wood construction and material reuse, the development offers sustainable and low-cost living accessible in the city. In fact, 30% of the building comprises communal spaces, including an auditorium, multifunctional room, children’s playroom, music studio, co-working spaces, meditation room, greenhouse, roof terrace, and communal kitchens. These collective spaces are strategically located along a central “Machu Picchu” staircase, encouraging daily interactions and maximizing contact among residents.
This article is part of an ArchDaily curated series that focuses on built projects from our own database grouped under specific themes related to cities, typologies, materials, or programs. Every month, we will highlight a collection of structures that find a common thread between previously uncommon contexts, unpacking the depths of influence on our built environments. As always, at ArchDaily, we highly appreciate the input of our readers. If you think we should mention specific ideas, please submit your suggestions.
