Design for gender equality - the history of cohousing ideas and realities

Today’s development of alternative types of housing with communal spaces and shared facilities, called cohousing, has been influenced by utopian visions, practical proposals and implemented pro-jects far back in the past. This article traces the driving forces behind the various models of communitarian settlements, cooperative housekeeping, central kitchen buildings, collective housing and collaborative residential experiments while focusing specifically on the design and gender aspects of these models. An emphasis is given to feminist arguments for cohousing, as well as a discussion of the patriarchal resistance against various forms of housing and living based on equality and neighbourly cooperation. The article includes an analysis of the relief of house work burdens and of the possibility for men to be courageously domesticated through this type of housing. The main research methods comprise analyses of literature and the researchers’ own practical experiences of cohousing. The authors claim that cohousing in Scandinavian and some other countries has contributed to a more equal distribution of responsibilities for house work. However, the number of people living in cohousing is still too small to influence the gender segregation of labour markets. It is furthermore concluded that design factors, such as the quality of shared spaces, easy access to common rooms and indoor communication, are important for the smooth functioning of cohousing.Peer reviewe

Faits de société et nouvelles spatialités

[EN] New spatial devices appear when society changes. Today families are restructuring, the domestic group is recomposing, practices are evolving and housing should follow. How can it be transformed to adapt to the life conditions and the lifestyle desired by singles of any age, families -either monoparental or blended-, by the elderly? Experiences in many countries are described here, showing the diversity of the devices proposed and their underlying ideals. They range from a simple practical solution to live in a contemporary way, particularly because of the porosity between habitat and work, to the ambition to change life starting with housing. Built in several countries, they also have very different scales. A simple house shared by friends in Japan or Holland, they can also gather very large groups in Sweden or Switzerland. A long survey on cohabitation in France helps to feed the authors’ reflection.[FR] De nouveaux dispositifs spatiaux apparaissent quand la société change et aujourd’hui les familles se restructurent, le groupe domestique se recompose, les pratiques évoluent et le logement devrait suivre. Comment le transformer pour qu’il s’adapte aux conditions de vie et aux arts de vivre désirés par les célibataires de tous âges, les familles, qu’elles soient modales, mono-parentales ou recomposées, par les personnes âgées ? Des expériences tentées dans de nombreux pays sont relatées ici et montrent la diversité des dispositifs proposés et des idéaux qui les sous-tendent. Ils vont de la simple solution pratique pour vivre de façon contemporaine, notamment à cause de la porosité entre habitat et travail, à l’ambition de changer la vie en commençant par le logement. Construits dans plusieurs pays, ils ont aussi des échelles très différentes. Simple maison partagée par des amis au Japon ou en Hollande, ils peuvent aussi rassembler de très grands groupes en Suède ou en Suisse. Une longue enquête sur la cohabitation en France permet de nourrir la réflexion des auteursEleb, M.; Bendimérad, S. (2017). Facts of society and new spatialities. VLC arquitectura. Research Journal. 4(2):1-27. doi:10.4995/vlc.2017.7899SWORD12742Barthes, R. Comment vivre ensemble. Cours et séminaires au collège de France (1976-1977). Paris, Ed. du Seuil, 2002.Breviglieri, M. "Le temps des cohabitations ", in Habitat et vie urbaine. Changement dans les modes de vie, ed. Huynh, P.-M. Paris: Éditions du PUCA, 2006.Calliat, V. Parallèle des maisons de Paris construites depuis 1830 jusqu'à nos jours. Paris: Bance Ed., 1850.Didelon, V. "Kraftwerk, vers un nouvel âge de la coopération ", Criticat 11 (2013), 2-12.Dollé, N. "Quand seniors et étudiants cohabitent". In Habiter. Paris: Autrement, 2009.Eleb-Vidal, M. and Debarre-Blanchard, A. Architectures de la vie privée. Maisons et mentalités. XVIIe-XIXe siècles. Bruxelles: Édition Archives de l'Architecture Moderne, 1989.Eleb M., Châtelet, A.-M., Mandoul, T. Penser l'habiter. Le logement en questions. Liège, Paris: Éditions Mardaga, 1988.Eleb M. "L'habitat: flexible, adaptable, réversible?" In Villes, territoires, réversibilités, dir. Frank Scherrer, Martin Vanier. Paris: Ed. Hermann, 2013.Eleb M., Bendimérad, S. Vu de l'intérieur. Habiter un immeuble en Ile de France (1945-2010). Paris: Archibooks/Ordre des Architectes d'Ile de France, 2011.Eleb M., Simon, P. Entre confort, désirs et normes. Le logement contemporain (1995- 2010). Bruxelles: Editions Mardaga, 2013.Eleb M. Les 101 mots de l'habitat à l'usage de tous. Paris: Archibooks, 2015.Eleb M., Bendimérad, S. Ensemble mais séparément, des cohabitants et des lieux. Bruxelles: Mardaga, 2018.Ginzbourg M. Le style et l'époque. Problèmes de l'architecture moderne. Liège: Mardaga, 1986.Grisel J. and Bassand, N. "Typologie, participation et réversibilité ", Tracès 11 (2016), 12-16.Hayden, D. (1980). What Would a Non-Sexist City Be Like? Speculations on Housing, Urban Design, and Human Work. Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 5(S3), S170-S187. doi:10.1086/495718Horelli, L. "Self-Planned Housing and the reproduction of gender and identity". In Gender and the Built Environment, ed. L. Ottes, E. Poventud, M. van Schendelen & G. Segond von Banchet. Assen: Van Gorcum. 1995.Martial, A. (2003). S’apparenter. doi:10.4000/books.editionsmsh.575Martin E. "Voyage à Kraftwerk ", Criticat 11 (2013), 13-23.Nishizawa, Ryue. Workbook of Architecture. Tokyo: Heibonsha, 2013.Vestbro, Dirk Urban. "Saving by Sharing– Collective Housing for Sustainable Lifestyles in the Swedish Context", in 3rd International Conference on Degrowth for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity, Venice, 19th – 23rd September 2012.Vestbro, D. U., & Horelli, L. (2012). Design for Gender Equality: The History of Co-Housing Ideas and Realities. Built Environment, 38(3), 315-335. doi:10.2148/benv.38.3.31