The Architecture School of Commons (ASOC) is a transnational network between academics, architects, practitioners, students and local communities based in France, Italy, Greece and Spain. ASOC aims to strengthen the relationships between architecture schools, practitioners and local communities, introducing experiential and collaborative pedagogies into the curricula of architecture schools. At the same time, through the acquisition of skills and hands-on experience in workshops, it aims to create new opportunities for students and to empower local rural communities.
Through encounters, seminars, and intensive workshops, the program emphasises the long-term ecosystemic relationships between communities, more-than-human entities and their ecologies. ASOC also explores the concepts of commons and commoning in rural areas. It promotes the use of local, natural and locally sourced materials, and focuses on the process-driven repair and transformation of unused and abandoned spaces and infrastructures, by inhabiting, re-using, taking care and reactivating them. This approach helps to preserve local cultural heritage and fosters solidarity networks, promoting a non-extractive, community-driven architectural practice and education.
At the heart of the program lies mutual and peer-to-peer learning, self-organisation, and commoning practices. Along with a commitment to climate consciousness, the program aims to deeply integrate different kinds of sustainability – not only economical but also environmental and social sustainability – into architectural education and practice.
ASOC offers multiple imaginaries for architecture practice and education, addressing the urgent challenges posed by climate, social, economic, and political crises. Ultimately, it seeks to contribute to the ongoing dialogue initiated by students and young professionals around current educational and professional formats and discuss how other worlds are made.
For more information about the contributors and collaborators behind ASOC, please visit the CREDITS section.