One's Home - Finding a balance between community and individuality

The urban lifestyle separates many families, forcing members to live alone.

As population grows and cities condense, we need to build up, and live small. However, as we and the space we occupy become smaller relative to the city, we lose the sense of integration with and connection to context (Florian Urban, 2012). Without feeling belonging, we often feel loneliness. Those who live alone need to feel that they are a part of a community while celebrating their individuality.

This thesis explores ways to reduce loneliness through the design of social housing through co-living. It considers the diversity of people and their choices of living needs, creating a place where we feel belonging as part of a community, while having enough privacy to feel safe. The design aspect of the thesis explores the different design techniques which reflect studies of sociology and learnings from precedents in order to support the physical and emotional well-being of the residents while also being more sustainable by being space efficient.