The Architecture of Housing Co-ops is the outcome of a research-by-design program and a collaboration between Leibniz University and the Creative Industries Fund NL. The project investigates housing cooperatives as an architectural, social, and organizational model for collective living.
The relevance of this research is underscored by the United Nations’ designation of the present year as the International Year of Cooperatives. Throughout history, housing cooperatives in Germany have demonstrated their resilience as a housing model that not only provides long-term affordable housing but also fosters stable and socially cohesive communities. In the Netherlands, this model is increasingly being reconsidered as a potential response to the contemporary housing crisis through renewed forms of collective ownership and collaborative housing production.
Well-documented precedents play a crucial role in informing and supporting emerging initiatives. This book presents fifteen established housing cooperatives—ten from Germany and five from the Netherlands—and examines their organizational structures, architectural approaches, legal frameworks, financing models, and everyday residential practices. Drawing on interviews with key actors and an analytical essay, The Architecture of Housing Co-ops provides empirical insights and conceptual reflections for researchers, practitioners, and others engaged in exploring alternative and affordable forms of housing.”
Authors: Marieke Kums, Carolin Koopmann
Publisher: NAI010 publishers
Design: Catalogtree
With support from: Creative Industries Fund NL, Leibniz University
Publication date: February 2026
ISBN: 978-94-6208-873-3
Purchase here: https://www.nai010.com/en/product/de-architectuur-van-wooncooperaties-the-architecture-of-housing-co-ops/
