Imagine that only a single family once lived in a house like this one!
During the fossil era, large single-family houses were a status symbol. They should ideally be located as close to the water as possible, something many people regret today as sea levels creep even closer and storms are more common and severe.
However, the climate crisis forced us to rethink. During the transition period, there was a shortage of much of what is needed for building new houses. New construction rules required fossil-free materials and there was a limited amount of steel, cement and wood that met these requirements. Many people needed affordable housing, while regulations aimed at protecting species and habitats made it difficult to find land for new buildings.
Instead, people started to look at already existing buildings. Office buildings, vacant houses as well as large luxury single-family houses started to be seen as possible housing solutions. These houses were far too expensive for a single person, which is why the city’s residents formed cooperatives and bought them jointly.
Many local craftsmen saw a business opportunity and offered transition construction as a service – where the houses were made efficient in terms of both space and energy use.
This text is part of the future scenario and study material Beyond the Fossil Era.
