CoHab Athens

CoHab Athens is a research collective established in 2016 in Athens, Greece. Its origins trace back to a workshop held during the Venice Biennale of Architecture, which marked the group's official starting point. Comprising members with backgrounds in architecture, urban studies, anthropology, activism, and interdisciplinary research, the organization engages in both local and international collaboration. CoHab Athens works closely with community groups in Athens, such as the Exarchia Residents Initiative Committee, and with European partners including Mietshäuser Syndikat from Germany and Neustart Schweiz from Switzerland. The collective’s primary focus is to examine and promote alternative models of housing, particularly cooperative and collaborative forms adapted to the Greek context. Their research explores how contemporary Athens—largely shaped by informal, resident-driven urbanization since the 1960s—faces issues of housing affordability, depopulation, and urban decay. CoHab Athens responds to these challenges by publishing research, organizing participatory workshops, and engaging in public debates about land use and ownership structures. Among its notable contributions is the analysis of the Greek housing model of “antiparochi,” which exchanged land for apartments in new buildings without state intervention, leading to intensive post-war urbanization. CoHab Athens has produced research presented at international venues such as the Venice Biennale, participated in the publication of a collaborative booklet, and remains active in knowledge-sharing networks. While cooperative housing remains underdeveloped in Athens due to regulatory and funding barriers, CoHab Athens continues to advocate for policy innovation and community-led housing alternatives, positioning itself as both a knowledge broker and a catalyst for civic experimentation in urban living.