Flat Design

Thirty years ago, eight women embarked on a radical experiment in urban living: they built a communal house in central Amsterdam in which practically everything — from kitchen utensils to childcare — was shared. The house was conceived as an alternative to expensive, single-family apartments and atomized urban lives. It also reflected decades of progressive thinking on feminism, gay rights, and collaborative living. With co-living making a comeback, New York-based designer Irene Pereyra returned to her childhood home to learn about the story of this unusual place, and to discover what we are willing to share in our living environment on a day-to-day basis — beyond the safety of our screens.