‘AHA’ Budapest; The Demo Hub has begun to create a community

The Demo Hub demonstrates how unused public buildings can be transformed into high-quality affordable homes. By converting a former school into 26 new affordable housing units, AHA Budapest presents a sustainable urban housing solution. Through AHA’s demonstration project, the Demo Hub, 26 families and individuals facing housing challenges are provided with homes and social support, ensuring a dignified and stable living environment. This initiative shows the necessity of social support mechanisms in order to achieve long-term housing stability and integration into the community.

In addition to the physical renovations, the Demo Hub focuses on social inclusion and integration. Future tenants will participate in the design process of the units and other parts of the project to ensure the spaces meet the needs of diverse residents, including people with disabilities, single parents, and low-income families.

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As the Demo Hub progresses, one of the first key milestones is to open the building in its early stages and allow the local and academic community to come in and participate in workshops around the topics of inclusivity and community building. This is where KÉK (Hungarian Contemporary Architecture Centre) comes in as community builder  and social educator, and as one of nine partners implementing the project.    

KÉK is a non-governmental professional organization with the mission of providing new visions in architectural design and urban planning. It acts as an open think tank that aims to foster cooperation and creativity between professionals and the public.

The role of KÉK in the project is to conduct surveys, to provide information and to involve the immediate neighborhood of the old school building, Demo Hub in Újpest, in a sequence of public workshops from the planning stage onwards. A part of the Demo Hub will also be renovated to include a space that can be used by the prospective residents of the Hub and the neighborhood.

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In May 2024, KÉK held its first placemaking community event, a one-day festival where local residents could visit the long-closed school, ask questions, and learn about the project’s future. This event was an important step in the process of building trust with the local community.

 In 2025, the team will conduct a comprehensive community survey to gather insights on the use of public spaces, cultural engagement, and key aspects of community governance in the area. The findings will play a crucial role in shaping the ongoing development of the Demo Hub, ensuring that the facility aligns with the needs and aspirations of the community it serves.

To explore the impact of community engagement and the role of participatory design, we spoke with Krisztina Kovács and Kíra Kőrös from KÉK

What is your role in the AHA project?

We consider ourselves as a cultural institution with the purpose of enhancing architecture, urbanism, and urban planning literacy. Our focus is on education and enforcement of the need of built environment as well as the involvement of locals in the decision-making process. Within the project, we are engaged in multiple activities, with a primary focus on communication and the transformation of an old school building into affordable housing solutions.

How have you contributed to the project so far?

The first stage of the project focused on engaging the community while Nart Architects developed the design for the Demo Hub. Incorporating local residents into the participatory design process presented several challenges, requiring us to continuously adapt and refine our approach to align with evolving circumstances.

We are organizing participatory events that bring together a diverse mix of local and external groups. These activities aim to activate the building, explore its potential, and foster community interaction before it takes on its new functions. Through educational initiatives, such as the AHA project and the Demo Hub module, we are creating opportunities for engagement and learning.

Given the complexity of the initiative, one of our key challenges has been making the project accessible and easily understandable to those unfamiliar with concepts of community development and urban planning.

Can you elaborate on the participatory design approach?

First, it was necessary to make both the partners and the community aware of the importance of community      engagement. We held workshops to introduce participatory design and make sure that the stakeholders and the partners understood the concept. Also, one of our biggest challenges has been to translate the concept of affordable housing into Hungarian as there is no direct equivalent in the language.

Tell us more about the neighborhood and the area of the Demo Hub.

The Demo Hub is in Újpest, which is more like a small town on its own than a part of Budapest.  Residents have their small gardens and the area has a strong local identity with its own city centre and limited link with inner city Budapest. It takes an hour to commute and the area is one of the less affluent districts      , it’s very common for people to work      and study within the same neighborhood.

Tell us about the first placemaking event at the Demo Hub.

In May 2024, we carried out our first on-site placemaking event to introduce our neighbors to the project and address the concerns      in relation to affordable housing.  The concept of affordable housing is often misunderstood, with many perceiving it as solely intended for homeless individuals. In reality, affordable housing is a shared concern that affects us all. We wanted to demonstrate that the project’s aim is to support a variety of people including teachers and healthcare workers and not only those in dire financial need.

What is the perception of the Demo Hub among locals?

 Through our events, we observed a strong sense of skepticism among locals toward the Demo Hub. Many perceive the construction of 26 apartments at a significant cost as a development primarily intended for homeless individuals. Our goal is to shift this perception by emphasizing that the project is designed to support a diverse group, including low- to medium-income families. We are committed to ensuring that the housing is well-managed and seamlessly integrated into the community, fostering a sense of inclusion and shared benefit for all.

What are the next steps for the project?

We are concentrating on three main goals:

1. Neighborhood Mapping – Conducting a survey on public space usage to guide the design of the community space at the Demo Hub.
2. Building an Active Community – Organizing small-scale events like community breakfasts, children’s day celebrations, and neighborhood meet-ups to foster connections.
3. Integrating New Residents – Ensuring that the future tenants are welcomed into an already-established community.

Future activities include urban walks, local festivals, and continued interviews with stakeholders and residents. A university course will also explore the history of the neighborhood and how to integrate it into the new function of the Demo Hub.

What challenges do you face?

The main challenge is the bureaucratic challenges. Managing the municipality’s administrative processes is slow; this in turn slows down project implementation. However, there is a challenge of communication due to the political tensions between Budapest and district authorities.

Another major challenge is the high demand for affordable housing in the area. Many low-income residents, currently living in substandard apartments, also hope to secure housing within the Demo Hub. However, given the limited number of units, not everyone will be accommodated, leading to potential tensions when the tenant selection process begins. To address this, the municipality is working to secure a second building that could be used for events, material assistance, and future housing opportunities.

What key factors should be considered when applying for such a project, particularly regarding potential challenges and areas for improvement?

From a project management perspective, early community engagement is crucial—even before the planning phase. When preparing funding applications or responding to project calls, reaching out to the neighborhood beforehand and gauging interest in such an initiative can make a significant difference. Proactively involving residents from the outset can foster trust, mitigate resistance, and create a stronger foundation for long-term success.

If I recall correctly, there was a change of site during the project’s initiation phase. While the newly selected building proved to be more suitable in many ways, the transition also introduced new challenges. For a program so reliant on community involvement, such shifts can be disruptive, as they require additional time to rebuild relationships and establish trust. In general, real-time processes tend to take much longer than initially anticipated. To address this, we must prioritize community engagement from the very beginning—not just during implementation. Even small efforts like early outreach, awareness campaigns, and transparent communication can go a long way in easing the process and ensuring smoother project execution.