A History of Collective Living : Forms of Shared Housing

This book tells the story of communal living forms from about 1850 until the present day. The projects featured in this book are divided according to the motivations of their creators and users – economic, political, and social. The book also contains historical analysis and the identification of nine discrete development phases.

The author investigates and compares different forms of housing and the way they developed until today. She illustrates how shared living and the degrees of privacy are practiced in Europe.

Owing to its comprehensive documentation, the analysis of typologies, layout plans, and user and expert interviews, the book can also be considered to be a handbook on communal living, offering a unique and detailed overview of this form of residential architecture.

This is the second and revised edition in a new layout and design of the sold out first edition.

• Illustration of European communal housing concepts since 1850
• Over 30 case examples on how and why people live together
• New edition of the standard work on collective living
• Also available in German: Eine Geschichte des gemeinschaftlichen Wohnens

Susanne Schmid studied interior design at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Engineering & Architecture and completed the MAS in Housing program at the ETH Wohnforum - ETH CASE in Zurich. Her research focused on communal living and its sociological and architectural implications. As a long-standing partner at Bürgi Schärer Architekten in Bern and since 2024 as Managing Director at Baumschlager Eberle Architekten in Zurich, she has dedicated herself in practice to the topics of social sustainability, cost-effective and flexible housing construction, accompanied the housing evaluation system WBS of the Federal Office for Housing BWO and focuses not only on housing but also on new ways of working and their spatial implementation. Susanne Schmid has been a part-time lecturer at the Institute of Interior Architecture at the Lucerne School of Engineering and Architecture since 2022 and gives numerous specialist lectures and workshops, including at the IST University of Lisbon - Tecnico-Arquitectura in 2023.

Prof.em ETH DI Dietmar Eberle studied architecture at the Vienna University of Technology, graduating in 1978 under Anton Schweighofer. In 1979, together with Markus Koch, Norbert Mittersteiner and Wolfgang Juen, he co-founded the "Vorarlberger Baukünstler" (1979-1982). From 1984 to 2009 he worked together with Carlo Baumschlager. He runs the internationally renowned firm Baumschlager Eberle Architekten with twelve offices in eight countries worldwide. Since 1983, he has taught continuously in Hanover, Vienna, Linz, Zurich, New York, Darmstadt and Hong Kong. Professor at ETH Zurich from 1999 to 2018, associated with this is the management of the ETH Housing Forum - ETH CASE (Center for Research on Architecture Society and the Built Environment).

Dr. Margrit Hugentobler (Sociology/Political Science) studied and worked at the University of Michigan, USA. From 1992, she conducted research at the ETH Housing Forum and headed the interdisciplinary research group from 2009-2015: Housing situations and needs of different target groups (including women, older people), innovations in housing construction in the context of sustainable urban development, multi-local housing.

Susanne Schmid studierte Innenarchitektur an der Hochschule Luzern – Technik & Architektur und absolvierte den Studiengang MAS in Housing am ETH Wohnforum – ETH CASE in Zürich. Dabei forschte sie über das gemeinschaftliche Wohnen mit seinen soziologischen und architektonischen Auswirkungen. Als langjährige Partnerin bei Bürgi Schärer Architekten in Bern und seit 2024 als Geschäftsführerin bei Baumschlager Eberle Architekten in Zürich widmet sie sich in der Praxis den Themen der gesellschaftlichen Nachhaltigkeit, des kostengünstigen und flexiblen Wohnungsbaus, begleitete das Wohnungs-Bewertungs- System WBS vom Bundesamt für Wohnungswesen BWO und fokussiert neben dem Wohnen auf neue Arbeitsweisen und deren räumliche Umsetzungen. Susanne Schmid ist seit 2022 nebenamtliche Dozentin am Institut für Innenarchitektur an der Hochschule Luzern – Technik & Architektur und hält zahlreiche Fachvorträge und Workshops, unter anderem 2023 an der IST University of Lisbon – Tecnico-Arquitectura.

Prof.em ETH DI Dietmar Eberle studierte Architektur an der TU Wien, Diplom 1978 bei Anton Schweighofer. 1979 war er zusammen mit Markus Koch, Norbert Mittersteiner und Wolfgang Juen Mitbegründer der «Vorarlberger Baukünstler» (1979–1982). Von 1984 bis 2009 arbeitete er zusammen mit Carlo Baumschlager. Er führt das international renommierte Büro Baumschlager Eberle Architekten mit weltweit zwölf Standorten in acht Ländern. Seit 1983 kontinuierliche Lehrtätigkeit in Hannover, Wien, Linz, Zürich, New York, Darmstadt und Hong Kong. Von 1999 bis 2018 Professor an der ETH Zürich, damit verbunden ist die Leitung des ETH Wohnforum – ETH CASE (Centre for Research on Architecture Society and the Built Environment).

Dr. Margrit Hugentobler (Soziologie/Politikwissenschaften) studierte und arbeitete an der University of Michigan, USA. Ab 1992 forschte sie am ETH Wohnforum und leitete die interdisziplinäre Forschungsgruppe 2009–2015. Forschungsthemen: Wohnsituationen und -bedarf unterschiedlicher Zielgruppen (u. a. Frauen, ältere Menschen), Innovationen im Wohnungsbau im Kontext nachhaltiger Stadtentwicklung, multilokales Wohnen.