OSTÖRD

Sponsored by KVADRAT

The rise of communal living due to population growth, a decrease in affordable living and the instability in the world has created a shift towards sharing more prominent than ever before. As communal living becomes more common, so does the notion and importance of privacy within the shared space. Navigating the space at home and sharing it with strangers can be complex and pressure filled. Living with a larger number of people, or people whom you have no close connection with makes privacy more difficult.

With most spaces within co-housing being communal it is important to respect the residents needs for occasional privacy. The communities that take place in each home should motivate engagement to a social life but also feature transition zones with the possibility to take a step back from the public sphere and have a private moment alone or with selected people. Outside of private bedrooms, many co-living facilities are underdeveloped when it comes to other areas where members can enter a private state of mind.

This project has focused on developing a sofa for co-living homes that gives a layer of privacy to the users, can be flat packed, is easy to assemble, disassemble and maintain. Ostörd provides the possibility to find solitude outside of the private bedroom and provides sheltering for when one doesn’t want to be confined to the small space.