Date: October 21, 2026 at 12 p.m.
Location: Online, Zoom registration
Abstract: Against the backdrop of a housing crisis, my dissertation examines collective housing for women in Canada. Cooperatives, nonprofit organizations (NPOs), and other forms of collective housing offer different ways of living together, sharing spaces, and organizing community life. However, how are these residential arrangements perceived and experienced by the residents? My research explores how the built environment, daily practices, and governance influence experiences of safety, belonging, care, and agency. I view these projects as spaces that are at once physical, social, and political, recognizing that collective housing cannot be understood solely through its architectural design or management. The layout of common and private spaces, management methods, and interactions among residents all influence the experience of living there. This approach allows us to examine the possibilities and limitations of these projects, as well as the conditions that foster their development and sustainability. This perspective aligns with research that encourages the simultaneous study of the architectural, organizational, and social dimensions of collective housing (Griffith et al., 2024). I also view care as an essential daily activity for building and sustaining community life, the distribution of which continues to be shaped by gender relations (Arrigoitia et al., 2023; Morrow & Parker, 2020).