IN-PERSON Barcelona Livable Cities. Section A
Abstract
The paper examines the ways in which the concept of housing is being transformed, focusing on the multifaceted changes observed nowadays. This transformation is defined by a duality: on the one hand, it is imposed, leading to significant challenges and problems; on the other, it is partly desired and accepted, explaining the limited resistance to these ongoing changes. In the liquid era, home loses its traditional significance as a stable foundation and reference point for identity and life. Permanence is questioned, and ownership diminishes, especially among younger generations. This departure from permanence though is not exclusively coercive; rather, it seems to reflect a desirable aspect of contemporary life, which now views housing as a consumable commodity. The paper analyzes four main factors that incur in the way the post-alphabetic dwelling is changing, mixing characteristics of the previous eras: (a) the concept of post-alphabetic home, from inhabited, to used, and now consumed; (b) the notion of the hearth, shaped by the reconfiguration of family structures from extended and nuclear to fluid forms; (c) the evolving relationship between home and work; and (d) the disappearing symbolic value of home, where residents and tourists become interchangeable. Home, the archetype of architecture, is undergoing a profound transformation—from a symbol of stability and identity to a commodity. This shift generates a significant challenge for architectural education, theory and practice that has to be addressed taking under consideration the liquid but pressing needs for a new version of home.
Elisavet Mandoulidou, architect (DUTH), Master in Architecture – Space Planning (NTUA), PhD in Architectural Design and New Technologies (DUTH). She is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Civil Engineering Educators, School of Pedagogical & Technological Education (2024-present) and Director of the Architectural Design and New Technologies Laboratory. She has published award-winning papers in international scientific conference proceedings, journals, and book chapters. She has participated as a research team member in various research programs. Her research interests and academic work focus on the intersection of advanced, digital, and hybrid technologies with art, urban design, and architectural design and fabrication.
Polyxeni Mantzou, Architect NTUA, Master in Conservation and Restoration of the Architectural and Urban Heritage, Master in Advanced Technologies in the Architectural Construction, PhD in Architectural Design ΕTSAM, UPM. She is Professor at the Department of Architecture UOI and Director of the Architectural Design and Digital Technologies Laboratory. Her research interests include the theoretical comprehension and practical implementation of digital media in architectural and urban design and cultural heritage management.
Efi Giannopoulou is an Architect (DUTH) with a Ph.D. from the Superior School of Architecture, UPM. Her research focuses on the concept of ‘The In-Between’—viewed both as a spatial-temporal object and a transition across scientific disciplines, essential for innovation and harmonious coexistence. She has contributed to national and international conferences, publications, and research projects, expanding the discourse on interdisciplinary design. She is an Adjunct Professor at the Department of Civil Engineering Educators, School of Pedagogical & Technological Education (2024-present), and, as part of the Minoan Energy Community s scientific team, she contributes to energy planning and advancing energy democracy.
2:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Thursday 17th July, 2025