This book tells the story of communal living forms from about 1850 until the present day. The projects featured in this book are divided according to the motivations of their creators and users – economic, political, and social. The book also contains historical analysis and the identification of nine discrete development phases.

The author investigates and compares different forms of housing and the way they developed until today. She illustrates how shared living and the degrees of privacy are practiced in Europe.

Owing to its comprehensive documentation, the analysis of typologies, layout plans, and user and expert interviews, the book can also be considered to be a handbook on communal living, offering a unique and detailed overview of this form of residential architecture.

This is the second and revised edition in a new layout and design of the sold out first edition.