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SUMMARY:The Agency of Less - Rethinking Existential Minimum / EAST
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250324
DTSTAMP:20260919T031013Z
UID:4aeebad3270bb7064f3e337ef770e376f1b53f5d1b86f7f5c537990d
CATEGORIES:Call for proposal
DESCRIPTION:The Agency of Less\nRethinking the Existential Minimum\n\nThro
 ughout history\, cities and societies worldwide have faced the challenge o
 f providing affordable and livable housing while managing limited resource
 s. Whether in architecture\, urban planning or social structures\, the pur
 suit has always been to maximise impact with minimal means.\nThe CIAM Cong
 ress on the Dwelling for the Existential Minimum in 1929 marked the first 
 systematic and scientific study of the fundamental requirements for housin
 g. It sought to answer the central question: What does a person need? The 
 response was clearly articulated - light\, air\, space\, and warmth. By ex
 ploring the smallest possible spatial footprint while maintaining architec
 tural quality\, the Congress laid an essential foundation for social justi
 ce and the provision of dignified housing for all.\nToday\, as social ineq
 ualities deepen\, living costs escalate\, and urban density intensifies\, 
 the discourse on the existential minimum has gained renewed relevance. How
 ever\, rather than perceiving it as the lowest acceptable standard for dig
 nified living\, it can be understood as a productive force - one that driv
 es the development of forward-thinking\, resource-efficient\, and adaptabl
 e architecture. As we rethink co-living and social models in an aging soci
 ety\, housing for the existential minimum should not be seen as a limitati
 on\, but as a framework for opportunity. It must go beyond the bare minimu
 m\, enabling well-proportioned\, high-quality environments that support di
 verse ways of living.\nAgency of Less is the theme under which the East La
 boratory invites you to participate in the 2025/2026 PDM session. Together
 \, we want to rethink the existential minimum in housing and discuss creat
 ive\, future-oriented architectural concepts.\nWe welcome theoretical stat
 ements that examine how existing concepts can contribute to critical archi
 tectural debates and inspire new approaches to contemporary practice\, usi
 ng a broad spectrum of themes as a framework for analysis:\n\n°Housing Ex
 periments – Exploring Alternative Models of Living\n°Self-Built Housing
  – Constructing and Settling as a Community\n°Forms of Communal Living 
 – Sharing as a Way Forward\n°The Household as the Core of Living – Co
 llective Service Houses and Distributed Productive Functions\n°Minimal Sp
 atial Concepts – From the Existential Minimum to Incremental Housing\n°
 Flexible Housing Typologies –Transformable Spaces and Neutral\, Freely I
 nterpretable Rooms\n\nWe accept project proposals in the field of housing 
 that foster inclusive and adaptable forms of living together\, mindful of 
 both a building’s lifecycle and the life transitions of its users. Addit
 ionally\, we encourage students to develop projects that take a clear arch
 itectural stance and critically engage with contemporary issues.\n 
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