Andrea Hinojosa
2026
American society often defines success through a familiar sequence: earning a higher education degree, securing a stable career, starting a family, and ultimately purchasing a home. While each of these milestones warrants critique, this project focuses on homeownership and the systems that shape it. Conventional homeownership operates within a colonial capitalist framework in which the state regulates development, lenders finance speculative construction, developers maximize profit, and homeowners ultimately purchase long-term debt rather than true ownership. Rather than proposing an immediate alternative to this system, this project investigates ownership models that work within it while resisting speculation. Drawing from Germany's Mietshäuser Syndikat, a cooperative housing network that permanently removes housing from the real estate market, the project explores how a similar model could be adapted to the United States. Using Syracuse, New York, as a testing ground, a vacant 1940s office building is reimagined as collectively owned housing that accommodates varying degrees of private and shared living. Public amenities—including a laundromat and community event space—connect the project to its neighborhood, while flexible residential units evolve alongside changing household needs. By challenging conventional ownership structures, the proposal demonstrates how housing can prioritize long-term affordability, collective stewardship, and adaptability over speculation and profit.