Dogma: Urban Villa

Architectural firm Dogma is known for its research into the evolution of housing in a rapidly changing society. In this exhibition, the architects take the urban villa as a starting point for the promotion of collective living.

A new take on housing: from speculation to collaboration
Built in many European cities since the 19th century, urban villas are detached, medium-sized residences containing several flats. They were intended to reconcile the expectations of suburban life with rising land costs in the city. The compact and speculative nature of urban villas attracts a diverse range of residents, thereby ensuring their commercial success. In this exhibition, Dogma challenges the urban villa’s market and investment-orientated character and explores its collective potential.

The exhibition consists of two parts. The first outlines the history of the urban villa as a specific typology; from town houses to multi-family residences in cities such as Lausanne, Berlin and Rome. The second section showcases a series of design proposals by Dogma. Four projects approach the urban villa as a cooperative home, while another presents it as a collective and affordable housing model.
 

Faux Corbu, a prototype for cooperative housing © Dogma