Revisiting the Emmahuis

Abstract

A financialized housing market entails systemic shortage of affordable housing. Rotterdam’s continuous increase of real estate prices is a case in point: despite its high share of social housing, today Rotterdam faces a shortage of affordable dwellings for lower income groups. How can collective housing design promote social inclusion and reduce the ecological footprint of its residents? To answer these challenges, the TU Delft master level housing design studio operates under the “what if” scenario of a cooperative economy for a neighborhood in Blijdorp. Inspired by the cooperative housing designs in Zurich, such Kalkbreite (2014), the studio conceives of housing laboratories that offer shared spaces to the surrounding neighborhoods and the entire city. Its overarching goal is to relate design, non-speculative housing models and participatory governance. How can a housing project function as a socially inclusive, ecologically sustainable, and economically viable neighborhood operating under the premise of long-term non-speculation? How does this approach impact on the understanding of design knowledge? This graduation project transforms an existing building, the Emmahuis, into a neighborhood center and housing complex that combines owner-occupied maisonettes with a housing cooperative for intergenerational co-living. Besides a collective roof terrace for the residents, the ground floor offers a multitude of shared and collective facilities such as community workshops, open office areas, a public library, and commercial shops. These facilities provide a meeting point for the residents and a micro-centrality for the Blijdorp neighborhood, aiming to amplify a sense of collectiveness among different income and interest groups.