Building the common

Facing the acute housing crisis and grave consequences of land privatisation, how can we subvert the conventional property ownership system to implement a collective property of commons? How can architects contribute to qualifying the understanding of the production and care of the collective habitat? Can design enhance community belonging and heighten the sense of place?

To expand on arguments around non-speculative ownership and care within the framework of the exhibition Living in Lisbon, this conversation invites French philosopher Pierre Dardot to elaborate on the practical activity of commoning, and how the Common has become the defining principle and a critical conceptual tool for alternative political movements in the 21st century. Dardot is joined by architects Joanne Pouzenc and Alex Römer of ConstructLab, who advocate that togetherness can be fostered through design, and that we should not only aim to build common grounds but also to build convivial grounds. The conversation is moderated by critic and curator Julia Albani.

This conversation is the first in a series of events around the Common, initiated and organised by the Institut Français du Portugal and the Goethe-Institut Portugal, in partnership with the CCB Architecture Centre / Garagem Sul on the occasion of the exhibition Living in Lisbon, curated by Marta Sequeira, and the forthcoming festival “Uma Revolução Assim — Luta e ficção: A questão da habitação”, an initiative of the Goethe-Institut Portugal, in partnership with Culturgest — Caixa Geral de Depósitos Foundation, curated by Julia Albani.