The studio examines housing as a critical instrument in the production of urban form and collective life. Led by Johanna Hurme + Sasa Radulovic of 5468796 Architecture, the course investigates the agency of architecture within broader social, political, economic, and cultural systems, with particular attention to the role of shared space in shaping collective forms of inhabitation.

The studio begins with a critical examination of prevailing North American housing models and the assumptions that underpin contemporary residential development. Particular attention is directed toward the spaces between buildings and the role they play in structuring social relationships, environmental performance, and everyday urban life.

Central to the studio is the proposition that the “in-between” spaces: courtyards, mews, yards, passages, and shared outdoor domains constitute an essential form of social and environmental infrastructure.

Rather than functioning as residual space, these environments mediate relationships between public and private realms, support social interaction, contribute to ecological performance, and shape patterns of collective inhabitation. The studio places particular emphasis on northern contexts, where climatic conditions and seasonality present unique challenges and opportunities for the design of shared space.

Students will study housing systems that integrate architecture, public policy, planning, and development practices to support socially cohesive urban environments. Topics include mixed-tenure housing, anti-segregation planning, affordable, cooperative and collective housing models, density and the relationship between housing form and the public realm. Housing is positioned not merely as a building type, but as a socio-spatial framework through which broader questions of equity, governance, sustainability, and urban citizenship can be explored.

Students will engage the subject through lectures, readings, precedent and case-study analysis, site research, density studies, physical and analytical modelling, programmatic and conceptual design exercises, and iterative design development. A field study in Helsinki will provide direct exposure to significant housing projects, urban districts, architectural practices, and public agencies, offering a comparative perspective on Finnish/North American approaches to housing and collective urban space.

Final outcomes will consist of physical models, analytical drawings, two- and three-dimensional representations, and film-based documentation. Evaluation will be based equally on conceptual clarity and intellectual rigor, depth of investigation, quality of process and design development, craft and precision of representation, and effectiveness of communication and presentation.

This studio is supported by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies.

Note regarding the Fall 2026 GSD academic calendar: The first day of classes, Wednesday, September 2nd, is held as a MONDAY schedule at the GSD. This studio will meet for the first time on Thursday, September 3rd.