Communal Living in Times of Social Distancing

The Az W focus on 'Bread & Roses' takes as its background the corona crisis to pose the question: What do we need for a good life? In July you can participate in the discussion during two online events with international guests.

Just a few weeks ago our lives carried on almost exclusively in the privacy of our own homes. Personal contact or encounters were reduced to a minimum and everybody was called upon to spend their days autonomously or within their own family units. But how did residents of communal housing projects make arrangements for this situation? Did people help one another, or try to avoid each other? What happened to the communal spaces — were they locked up or did people continue sharing them?

In a digital discussion, residents of three housing projects, from Switzerland, Germany and Austria, report on their experiences during the shutdown and provide insights into the specific organisational structures of each of the projects concerned. The discussion reflects on what can be gleaned from the pandemic for architecture, living and communal life for the future and provides an opportunity to share thoughts.

Guests:
Silvia Carpaneto, CoHousing — Spreefeld Berlin, Carpaneto Schoeningh, Berlin/Germany
Valérie Clapasson, management team of Genossenschaft Kalkbreite, Zurich/Switzerland
Markus Zilker, Eins zu Eins Architektur, Vienna/Austria

Moderated by
Lene Benz, Az W

*The discussion will be broadcast live on zoom. Here you find the link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85446325955