Suburbia: Built Dreams – The Future of the Single-Family Home

13 current projects demonstrate how existing buildings can be adapted for a sustainable future through renovation, transformation, and repurposing.

A large house with a garden, a swimming pool, and two cars in the garage. A quiet, safe place for the nuclear family, close to nature and in a peaceful setting. To this day, the majority of the population still aspires to realize this dream, with far-reaching social and ecological consequences such as land consumption, soil sealing, and vacant properties.

Using historical materials, the exhibition traces the history of this ideal way of life, which—originating in American suburbs—conquered the world and successfully took hold in this country as well after World War II. Graphs and statistics illustrate the impact of the single-family home on people, animals, and the plant world. However, the exhibition focuses on the potential of the existing housing stock.