Collective Houses: An Expanding Architecture

Abstract

This paper mainly examines the historical development of collective houses around the end of the 18th century and early 19th century. As indicated by Dune Vestbro and Dolores Hayden, the necessity for collective dwellings was revealed with the beginning of women to work. Thus, 'the central kitchen' idea created the main spatial revolution in domestic architecture during the industrial revolution time. Over years, common areas have been developed as; dining halls, living halls, children's playgrounds, markets…etc. and these areas act as service spaces for the small houses, indicating the expanding feature of houses from inside to outside, from spaces of existenzminimum to common spaces. As highlighted by Ezio Manzini; 'Existance-Minimum as a design quality must be minimum in m2 but maximum in comfort' indicates the highquality common areas of today's mass houses. Today, in metropolitan houses especially, expanding architecture; the expanding of spaces, socially and physically, from inside to outside, constitutes the main idea of housing projects.