How do we want to live together in the future? Students in the Master’s program in Spatial Communication at Mainz University of Applied Sciences explored this question. As part of the World Design Campus (WDC) in Frankfurt, they developed and built a walk-in residential sculpture that explores new forms of communal living and brings them to life. The “Mainz Democracy Kitchen” will be on display from July 3 to 5, 2026, at the WDC Campus Festival (Am Schaumainkai 17).
The project addresses democratic coexistence, social participation, and intergenerational and intercultural living. The residential sculpture is conceived as a spatial experiment that invites visitors to question existing housing models and experiment with new forms of coexistence.
At the heart of the design is the idea of breaking down conventional spatial arrangements. Functions are no longer tied to fixed locations: tools, materials, and objects are organized modularly and can be used flexibly wherever they are needed at any given moment. Whether cooking, working, repairing, playing, or caring for others—the activities take center stage, not the rooms. This creates a living model that is oriented toward the needs of its users and continuously evolves through their actions.
Another central component of the concept is a visible food cycle. The living sculpture integrates the cultivation, harvesting, processing, and consumption of food into everyday communal life. Plants are cultivated and used directly within the system, while an integrated composting system returns organic waste to the cycle. This makes production, supply, and recycling immediately tangible for all residents.
The installation reveals how closely individual actions and communal life are intertwined. Here, community emerges not as an optional extra, but as a spatial prerequisite. Those who take initiative need support; those who step back create space for others. In this way, social interdependencies are not hidden but consciously shaped.
With their contribution to the World Design Campus, the students aim to open up a space for discussion and provide inspiration for a sustainable, inclusive, and democratic culture of living.
