‘gewohntes’ Exploring the specific and non-specific of housing and everyday practice

Abstract

In the context of the cyclically recurring and currently urgent housing crisis in Germany, new potentials for the creation of adequate housing are to be explored. Therefore, the discrepancy between the mechanisms of the free-market organization of housing and the needs of the residents is considered, whereby the individual needs and housing desires of the residents usually do not find a direct translation into the architecture. Furthermore, the design and production of living space thus inevitably stand in a relationship of tension - between the specific needs of the user and the unspecific, space that awaits its appropriation.
In order to develop a different, needs-oriented approach, a participatory research project was initiated. It explores the desires, values, and appropriation strategies of residents in relation to their homes. Within the project, diverse and individual perspectives have been made visible, and thus multiple dimensions and aspects of housing have been identified.

Keywords: housing, needs-oriented approach, appropriation