With photos by Anastasia Hermann

Experiments with living in voluntary communities are a natural ultimate response to the radical changes in our living conditions. Increasing numbers of people are trying out new ways of living, in multigenerational family houses and housing estates, in colourful social mixes: the old and the young, households with less or more income, families, singles, and single parents, those with home and foreign roots, with or without disabilities. It is always about reconciling living with others and ensuring the independence of those involved.
This publication introduces selected examples, as well as those who have contributed ideas and helped to initiate communal living projects. Photographs by Anastasia Hermann provide revealing insights into the nature of these residential projects. As the Darmstadt city photographer of the year 2012, she accompanied the living, working, and daily lives of eight experimental communities. The focus is on the ambitious architectures: the carefully designed rooms, the well thought out spatial layouts, and their influence on communal living.