Colectivización y Conductismo. Bloques de vivienda obrera con espacios compartidos como instrumento para la transformación de la sociedad.

Abstract

This article traces the evolution of the collective housing model with shared spaces as a tool for social transformation, structuring its analysis in three key stages. First, it explores the origins of the concept in post-October Revolution Soviet Russia, where the collectivization of domestic space emerged as a mechanism to establish a new socialist way of life. By eliminating private functions and transferring them to communal areas, the aim was to condition daily habits and shape individual behavior, applying behaviorist principles to produce a "new man." In the second phase, the article examines the equivalent model in Western Europe, developed in response to the urgent housing needs following the World Wars. Although these initiatives shared certain functional and social goals, they arose within distinct democratic and economic contexts, prioritizing efficiency and cost-effectiveness over ideological transformation. Communal living was conceived primarily as an enhancement to the limited dimensions of social housing rather than a mechanism for behavioral control. The third stage addresses the projection of the collectivist model to other latitudes, focusing specifically on the Cuban case, which maintained ideological and economic ties with the Soviet superpower. Housing and educational systems were implemented that reproduced the principles of collectivization, placing strong emphasis on social discipline and ideological formation. Once again, architecture served as an instrument to influence social dynamics, within a framework of strong state centralization. In conclusion, the article demonstrates that, despite its potential to foster cohesion and efficiency, collective housing with shared spaces ultimately failed as a tool for behavioral transformation when imposed without social consensus, leading to alienation and rejection of its organizational and architectural principles.