The Department of Architecture of the University of Thessaly (Dept.Arch UTh) and the open research-action collective CoHab Athens are organizing an exhibition and a parallel events titled: “Co-habiting Vacancies: From Vision to Claims”, taking place from May 12 to May 21, 2026.
The exhibition presents the outcomes of the collaborative youth competition “CoHabiting Vacancies” (2024–2025), organized by CoHab. The competition aimed to explore possibilities for the reuse and transformation of vacant buildings—primarily owned by public institutions or non-profit organizations—into various forms of cooperative housing, tailored to local needs. The innovative competition proposals demonstrate that the cooperative housing model can serve as a meaningful tool for securing more affordable and higher-quality housing. At the same time, it promises to offer a sustainable response both to the housing crisis and social isolation, as well as to the underutilization of vacant buildings in Greek cities and the countryside.
The exhibition was first presented in Athens (November 2025) and, following Volos, will travel to Thessaloniki, serving as a platform for exploring alternative housing models and collective living practices across different local contexts. Drawing on the visionary ideas proposed by young students and professionals for transforming vacant buildings into spaces of shared living, solidarity, and care, and informed by international examples, the Department of Architecture of the University of Thessaly and CoHab Athens aim to foster a broader dialogue with local stakeholders and communities. This dialogue focuses on the institutional, social, and architectural challenges involved in promoting cooperative and collective housing.
As part of the program, the following public events will take place:
A) Competition exhibition“Co-habiting Vacancies: From Vision to Claim”. Opening: Tuesday, May 12, 20:30. Exhibition hours: Daily 10:00–20:00 until Wednesday, May 21, at the Exhibition Space, Department of Architecture, UTh.
B) Scientific symposium & open discussion “Inhabiting the Commons. Collective Housing as a Space of Sharing” with keynote speaker Stavros Stavrides, Emeritus Professor, School of Architecture, National Technical University of Athens. It will take place on Tuesday, May 12, 18:00 at the Department of Architecture, UTh.
C) “Participatory Workshop for Inclusive Co-Housing” open toUTh students and other individuals interested in cooperative models and collective housing. It will take place on Wednesday, May 13, 15:00–17:00 at the Central Library of the University of Thessaly. [Register for the participatory workshop:https://forms.gle/MMJKLmR7TtPY6sqr9]
D) Open discussion “Alliance for Cooperative Housing” with the participation of organizations based in the Thessaly region. Short presentations and an open discussion will highlight the prospects of cooperative housing models and collective initiatives at local and regional levels. It will take place on Wednesday, May 13, 18:00–20:00, at the Central Library of the University of Thessaly
The events are part of the ongoing, close collaboration between the Department of Architecture of the University of Thessaly and the open research-action group CoHab Athens. Their shared aim is to inform and activate public dialogue around critical social and spatial challenges, while actively contributing—through academic knowledge and collaborative networks—to addressing them.