Alternative housing

How to live differently? More and more people are looking for an answer to this question. Alternative housing in its definition includes anything that goes beyond the mainstream of possible types of residence, and there is no shortage of proposals: from microdwellings to cohousing to ecovillages. Alternative habitation is not only possible, but increasingly popular.

microdomes, or functional minimalism

Tiny house movement means as much as "tiny house movement". For people who don't want to be tied down, who are constantly on the move, travelers, those not putting down roots, or those who don't want to or can't take out a home loan and choose a different way of life. Flowing from the slow life (slow living) philosophy and the DIY (do-it-yourself) idea, the movement developed in the US, but similar initiatives, though with different motivations, can also be found in other parts of the globe - such as Japan, known for its frugality in space management. One of the basic tenets of Japanese metabolism is to adapt to a changing society, by which many projects involve minimizing living space and providing residents with opportunities to live closer to work in the form of micro-apartments. You can read more about microdomes in Agata Twardoch's article.

cohousing - living in a designed community

Another proposal, flowing from the assumptions of the sharing economy, are various forms of cohousing. This category operates beyond the classic division between public and private. In addition to housing cooperatives, intentional communities, one of the most popular forms of this type is cohousing. What is cohousing? It is a housing development that provides its residents with a large range of common spaces: laundry rooms, dining rooms, gardens, meeting rooms, libraries - the functional program is determined according to the needs and preferences of a specific group that participates in the entire design process. Thanks to the expanded common area, the private zone can be minimized, which not only reduces costs, but also gives much more space for interpersonal contacts. The basis of cohousing is openness to diversity - so by definition it is meant to be for everyone and not impose any ideologies. Nonetheless, conflicts are inevitable, in which is why clearly defined rules and systems mediating disputes within the group, reducing their destructiveness, are important.