Cohousing and Digital Transformations

In recent years, there has been a rise in collaborative urban housing that emphasizes shared values, activities, and spaces. Simultaneously, digital technologies are permeating the built environment and impacting our everyday lives. How do technologies affect the shared living experience? What challenges and new opportunities arise when residential communities, property owners, and technology providers interact? How might we design technologies that support us, rather than alienating or controlling us?

The event is aimed at housing and real estate professionals, technology and service providers, architects, designers, researchers, and residents. It is part of the EU-funded SmartUp research project led by Aalto University, which investigates the impact of digital tools on living experiences and social relations in cohousing. We present the results of the research project and share interesting case studies and visions of digital technologies in cohousing by two invited speakers. The event concludes with a discussion on ideas raised by the topic. You can participate in the discussion in English or Finnish.

Program

13:00 Welcome & overview of the SmartUp project, Nils Ehrenberg & Antti Pirinen
13:15 Pedro Aibéo: Gamified cohousing (via Zoom)
13:35 Kimmo Rönkä: Technologies in intergenerational communities
13:55 Antti Pirinen: Designing technologies for cohousing 
14:15 Coffee break
14:30 Discussion & co-ideation 
15:15 Summary & closing