18–25 October 2025
Dutch Design Week, Foundation We Are, Torenallee 20-04, Eindhoven, Netherlands
Housing affordability in the Czech Republic – even compared to the rest of Europe – is a major issue. It is shaped by a range of factors, which in turn affect the quality and lifestyle of its residents. The latest project by the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague (UMPRUM), “The Architecture of Sharing: From Crisis to Resilience,” responds to the current situation and explores participatory housing as an alternative to traditional ownership or rental models.
The project was created by UMPRUM experts and graduates Klára Peloušková and Veronika Miškovičová, who work within SHIFT – an UMPRUM Laboratory for Transition to Sustainability, together with PhD student Kateřina Krebsová from the Studio of Architecture II. It addresses not only the issue of housing affordability but, above all, explores possible solutions to the housing crisis. One of the key approaches it presents is participatory and community housing, exemplified by the Czech initiative Sdílené domy (Shared Houses). Its projects in Prague and Děčín are based on collective management, adaptive reuse of buildings, and on a non-profit housing structure.
In an effort to make the issue more accessible to the general public, the creators chose the approachable and visually engaging format of an animated film. The film was created by students of the Studio of Animation and Film, Julie Černá and Hanna Palamarchuk, under the guidance of Michaela Režová. It introduces viewers both to the experiences of collectives organizing community housing and to the legal and financial frameworks of cooperatives, along with the possibilities of scaling such models. The work combines documentary footage, interviews, and animation. Architecture is presented as both a spatial and institutional infrastructure that supports long-term housing affordability and system resilience. In addition to the film, the exhibition will feature a website offering supplementary texts and video interviews with members of Sdílené domy (Shared Houses) and other experts.
“When sustainability is discussed in the context of architecture, the focus is usually on concepts related to energy efficiency, rising costs, or the production of energy from renewable sources. Yet the most environmentally friendly approach is the reconstruction and conversion of existing buildings — and this is precisely the path Sdílené domy have taken. At the same time, the social aspect of sustainability is key for them: they see housing primarily as a long-term place to live, not as an investment,” says project co-author Klára Peloušková.
The prestigious European showcase Dutch Design Week focuses on experimental and innovative design while addressing issues of sustainability and social responsibility. These very themes are reflected in the project “The Architecture of Sharing: From Crisis to Resilience”, which presents one of the economic and organizational models that enable communities to collectively respond to the housing crisis — while also taking part in deciding how housing is structured and what it looks like.
Exhibitors: Veronika Miškovičová & Klára Peloušková (SHIFT UMPRUM)
Creative Director: Michaela Režová
Concept and Screenplay: Kateřina Krebsová & Klára Peloušková
Animation and Art Direction: Julie Černá & Hanna Palamarchuk
Graphic Design: Pavlína Smékalová & Sara Szyndler
Installation Design: Kateřina Krebsová & Veronika Miškovičová
Production: UMPRUM & Michaela Kaplánková
Thanks to: The First Swallow and Flyful Seagull Collectives
For more, visit: architectureofsharing.site, umprum.cz, shift.umprum.cz
The project was supported by the funding schemes Web Platform for Sustainability in Architecture (Project registration number with the Ministry of Culture: 0443000045) and Green Transformation of UMPRUM (Zelená transformace UMPRUM, NPO_UMPRUM_MSMT-2132/2024-4).
