Need Over Greed

How long can a house stand vacant until it’s deemed an unethical asset amidst a housing crisis? In an act of spatial activism, this thesis draws on the untapped potential of disused property through squatting and guerrilla architecture in an attempt to dismantle the monopolisation and hoarding of vacant houses. This project hacks existing buildings through small interventions to create non-conformist ways of housing people, dealing with the political, legal and spatial grey zones of this act. Australia desperately needs a system that recognises housing as a human right, not a wealth building asset.

Sydney's Vacant House Map. White squares = 5 x vacant homes, black squares = 5 x occupied homes. There are 140,000 vacant homes across Australia, with almost 24,000 in Sydney.

Housing is a human right, not a wealth building asset. Occupy Now!

'The Kit' is a deconstructed kit of parts that assists occupiers moving into vacant houses that may be lacking amenities. It's designed as a system that informs the occupiers design.

Occupation Handbook - A Guide to Making Homes out of Houses. This handbook provides illustrative examples of how one might use 'The Kit' to create necessary amenities.

Vacant Houses in Dulwich Hill. This floor plan demonstrates how 'The Kit' might be used to re-occupy these vacant houses that have sat empty for 2-8 years.