As part of the 2023 Venice Biennale, an exhibition on the future of housing has opened feating the work of several women-led practices. Titled 'Reconceptualizing Urban Housing,' and organized by the European Cultural Centre, the exhibition centers on “unique perspectives on collective housing, primarily in or near urban areas.”

Featured practices in the exhibition are Adengo Architecture (Uganda), Alison Brooks Architects (UK), Dubbeldam Architecture + Design (Canada), Eleena Jamil Architect (Malaysia), Fernanda Canales Arquitectura (Mexico), Manuelle Gautrand Architecture (France), Mecanoo (The Netherlands), Meyer-Grohbruegge (Germany), and Studio Gang (USA).

“The global housing crisis has created an urgent need for housing worldwide, especially in urban centers where 80% of the world’s population is housed,” the organizers explained. “In the race to build more homes faster, many important factors are being overlooked including community, identity, and liveability. From city to city, the context differs dramatically, but the problem is universal: How can urban collective housing be more liveable? How do we ensure that the design of housing will enhance inhabitants’ well-being and quality of life?

The projects on display are spread across Europe and North America, as well as nations including Uganda, Malaysia, and Mexico, exploring diversity in building typology, climate, and economic and cultural factors. The projects are united by their embodying of a “shared commitment to social and environmental sustainability.”

“The selected projects showcase new thinking around housing,” the organizers add. “They take a bold approach to liveability, exploring the balance of communal and private, design for social connection, adaptability, identity and agency, optimization of natural light and ventilation, integration of landscaping and urban farming, and access to outdoor spaces, while remaining unique to each local context and demographic. Together, and in different ways, they redefine what collective housing can be and how it can support liveability for its inhabitants.”

The exhibition will be open at the Palazzo Mora in Venice until November 26th. You can learn more about the 2023 Venice Biennale through our review of the event.