ABSTRACT
This research explores the concept of invisible architecture—a community-centric, urban vernacular practice that is uninterested in societal recognition and conventional labels and leverages locally sourced materials from the immediate environment into everyday spaces. Drawing inspiration from the wildly creative and improvisational spatial practices of the 1980s Amsterdam squatters, this study examines how invisible architecture can serve as a legacy to squatting by promoting a more inclusive, anti-disciplinary approach to space-making that prioritizes long-lasting memories, environmental sustainability, and the integration of instant objects into architectural design. Through the lens of current squatters and self-initiated projects including Casa Masdeu, UHAB’s Self-help Housing, and Zone A Defendre (ZAD), this research aims to showcase to the architectural field how invisible architecture, with its down-to-earth, self-reliant, and community-centric approach, can silently yet profoundly influence contemporary urban landscapes, urging a renewed architectural focus on long-term community well-being and environmental sustainability over purely aesthetic considerations.
