Adaptive Reuse of Abandoned Buildings: From Illegal Occupancy to Common Good

Demographic change and housing emergency characterize the Italian situation in a context of institutional stasis. Climate change, lack of resources, and soil exploitation are the main factors demanding new urban management models towards innovative forms of living. This paper illustrates the possibility of restoring energy-intensive building stock and confronting the housing emergency through the recovery of abandoned buildings in metropolitan areas following the conscious management carried out by the inhabitants. The research group developed a building renovation model starting from a spontaneous building squat to a participatory project path shared with the occupants. This innovative process of common empowerment allows the inhabitants to achieve awareness among a population experiencing hardship conditions. In addition, the recovery of existing buildings is an energy-saving opportunity via sharing practices to generate economic and social value through inclusion.