Author Description

What is do-it-yourself architecture? Self-building is a challenge not only in terms of material, economic, regulatory and bureaucratic difficulties, it is a challenge to oneself. It requires the desire and the ability to recognize one's own limits, to overcome one's own prejudices, to put aside one's own ego in favour of the ability to listen to the needs of others, and of the community. Does architecture have to obey, deny, or subvert the logic of the housing market? Countless architects and architectural theorists have tried to answer this question since soon after the Second World War. A seemingly simple question, but one that goes beyond the boundaries of the professional role of architects - challenging practices, habits and the establishment. What is do-it-yourself architecture? Is it an isolated phenomenon, autonomous and disconnected from the usual practice of the profession? Is it mainly related to experiments and research, or to developing countries and to small buildings? Is the recent proliferation of examples of self-building in the international scene a phenomenon related to the economic crisis, to the difficulties of youth in entering the job market, or to the desire for autonomy and freedom of many professionals? With projects and researches by: Al Borde, Alan Willett and Steve Gaarder, Archintorno, BC Architects, Beyond Architecture Group, Collettivo Ark, Cristina Cerulli, FAREstudio_Riccardo Vannucci, Fundación Escuela para la Vida, Giovanni Jalla, Ian Hall, Karine Labrousse, Jorge Dantas, Kikuma Watanabe, Luca Sampò, Marco Aresta, Giulia Scialpi, Ecohacer, Nathaniel Corum, Paolo Mestriner, Paolo Robazza, Paulo Alfonso, Marta Maccaglia, Rural Studio, Elena Barthel, Sara Capurro, VIVIAMOLAq