Architecture in the Sharing Economy

Idea by

Margaret Wells

Glogauer Strasse 31, Berlin, Germany

Margaret Wells is an architect living in Berlin. She originally studied business and worked as a research analyst before going to the University of New Mexico to earn her Master’s degree in architecture. She was then invited to participate in a studio in Hamburg by GMP Architekten, after which she took an internship position at GMP in Berlin. Since 2015 she works at GBP Architekten, also in Berlin, on a large renovation project. She loves exploring architecture problems through models.

Call for ideas 2019

This project explores the potential for online commerce in the sharing economy to create physical communities.

# Economy

New alliances

The sharing economy has shaken the core of capitalism, challenging individual ownership. However, many businesses at the heart of the sharing economy have increased the detachment of commerce from actual communities.

This project interrogates the role that architecture can play in bridging the gap between digital and actual spaces. Can commerce operate on multiple levels, enhancing a community’s sense of social well-being and facilitating real-world interaction?

To test these ideas, the shop typology is reconfigured, integrating its historical demands with the sharing economy. The design is a prototype for a subscription based online retailer that allows customers to borrow rather than own clothes. This type of online community is rife with potential for translation into a physical community. The prototype design has fixed display units for a rotating collection of clothes to borrow, with an adaptable central social space that can serve a variety of community functions.