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Squatters Commons
by Trenton Werner
Slabbers posit Slab City as the “Last Free Place in America.” Accordingly, Squatters Commons presupposes that in a community that ignores the notion of real estate, property, or commodity, leisure and entertainment are readily available—for free.
Slab City, California— the “Last Free Place in America”—is home to the Slabbers, an informal community of displaced squatters looking for freedom and escape from traditional society by living off the grid. This project proposes a series of design proposals specific to the Slab City aesthetic, way of life, and building vernacular.The interventions, all collective spaces of leisure, foreground the realities and beauty of desert living and serve to enrich the lives of those who are traditionally excluded from the commons.