Torrent d’Estadella, a small scale and diverse industrial area on the edge of central Barcelona is seeing transformation around it. A new train station, linear park and design university will soon be Estadella’s neighbors, changing its position within the city dramatically. It has potential to be transformed into a showcase of climate adapted urban design that facilitates urban manufacturing, a crucial tool to realize circular production. Intensified industrial space, shared yards, green streets, cultural spaces and more presents a new vision of what a manufacturing area can be.

The proposed design makes room for new manufacturing space alongside complementary uses that promote the creation of a circular economy and activate the area during more hours of the day. Repair centers, recycling facilities, material banks and design centers can work together in close proximity to make Estadella a hub for the sustainable economy of making in Barcelona. New connections and a logistical network improve the connectivity to Estadella making it an integrated part of the city, both for everyday workers and residents and the local supply chains that facilitate Barcelona’s shift towards a circular economy. Green streets and small parks provide everyday greenery and shading, an inviting environment that promotes soft mobility, cools down the city and creates spaces for everyday breaks. Estadella will welcome people to manufacture a sustainable future for Barcelona.

Harbour development projects are often ambitious projects where you want to develop the area with functions that benefit the public good. You often need to develop the area with high density so that you create many homes, workplaces and activities. However, this density can make it difficult to bring in urban agriculture in the development. Especially if you want to bring in a type of urban agriculture that contributes more than just food production, also recreational and ecological values.

The aim of the thesis is to investigate how to design a harbour development with urban agriculture and at the same time have high density. The purpose is also to test how both hobby recreational cultivation and professional commercial urban farming can be designed within this development.

The investigation is a case study of Norra Västerport in Varberg, Sweden. A proposal is produced which then constitutes an example of how the area can be designed to achieve the municipality's goals with the site and also to enable urban agriculture within the development.

As a result, people have a strong sense of belonging to the site due to the historic quality of the site. The quality of living is not as good as in recent modern planning and design of new communities.

The research and project proposal of this thesis is located in the small park Historical district of Shantou City, Guangdong Province, China. The site is located in the coastal area of southeast China with a subtropical climate and is a port city.

The site has a large proportion of historic protection buildings, few buildings that can be demolished, poor building quality and high building density, no reserved public space and greening in the block, clear road framework and good transportation accessibility. The living environment of the site needs to be improved.

In view of this problem, I have analyzed the current situation and concluded that three aspects need to be improved. The first is to improve the building quality and restore and update historical buildings under the condition of building sustainability. The second is the need to increase the landscape greening, by increasing the roof greening and increasing the public space greening two ways to create landscape space; The third is the need to create public space, using the main nodes created after the demolition of the building, while looking for limited space in the current situation to create interesting public space.

To create "A livable, historic district with memories."

This Master’s Thesis can inspire the relationship between growing natural vegetation, self-sustaining infrastructure and community all considered from the perspective of different age groups of children that will have their childhood within this environment.

Urban Green Infrastructure (UGI) is a large part of ‘A Child’s Garden City’. UGI includes different natural sustainability features to help with greener communities. Factors such as forests, wetlands, urban agriculture, community gardens, urban trees, green roofs, rain gardens, swales and ecology on a micro-scale can help a community become more sustainable in water management, food creation and economical status. This is very significant for a future where the resources on our planet are limited and we need to find ways to work together and combat negative environmental implications. Introducing children to these factors of sustainability early on in their lives can help the future significantly. Through time, green developments will grow into larger, more used communities by children today and other future generations.

Child-oriented communities should also include aspects of nature and play. Urban spaces should be created with play and nature integrated within and throughout. Cities with a children-oriented perspective to the world can encourage education, use and adaptability in different forms. It is fascinating to see how children can learn through their environment and how much more they would care about the environment and sustainability if it was implemented around them from a young age and taught to them within a growing space. Child-friendly urban design is therefore valuable for humanity’s future in sustainability and development.

Multiple types of barriers have made it more and more difficult to create a sense of community within this environment. Due to the lack of densification, urban sprawl also directly impacts air pollution and therefore is a big contributor to climate change. However, is there a perfect solution to address this 21st century phenomenon? Is proper urban design the answer?

This master’s thesis will be analyzing the urban development of the Belgian, more specifically, the Flanders region. As a result of certain regulations and norms Belgium has become one of Europe’s most sprawled countries. It is the notion of ‘Ribbon Development’, an urban sprawl pattern specific to Flanders that will be redesigned.  

Through past research and case studies, a toolbox that focuses on three regional strategies created the base of this project. Each individual local design tool enhances these strategies. The Green, The Social and The Infrastructure are the focal points on how to improve the community lifestyle of towns that are placed in Ribbon Development condition. 

Through a green corridor belt and the future’s predicted densification, this project aims to create a model for the rest of Flanders and guidelines for the rest of Europe on how to deal with the future of urban sprawl. A ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution is not the answer, but human scale interactions are necessary to help enhance the community’s lifestyle within this present-day dilemma. 

The modular system in the construction industry offers a solution to the growing demand for rapid accommodation in areas suffering from a lack of decent housing. Such areas are particularly those affected by natural or man-made disasters.

Those recurring disasters are resulting in an increasing number of displaced people who need to be provided with urgent accommodation. Due to insufficient legal regulations and effective construction methods, refugees are often located in conditions defined as ‘temporary’, offering low quality of living conditions, degrading social environment and destructive impact on the city landscape. However the duration of their accommodation often proves to be much longer than assumed initially.

On the other hand, attracting people’s attendance is one of the main objectives of the urban strategies aiming at converting abandoned or degraded places into liveable and vibrant city spots.  In the process of managing a massive group of displaced persons, the presence of people can be regarded as an immense resource in refurbishment of obsolete parts of the city by incorporating their participation in the process of redevelopment of the built environment.

One of the most important components of the placemaking process is participation in the decisions of future residents or users. Strategies for involving citizens in decision-making also serve to assess the potential of a place and, as such, can become an important determinant of investment direction.

In this thesis, I examine the potential for IDP housing to serve as a catalyst for long-term placemaking. I use the district of Dniprovskiy in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine as a case study to illustrate how the strategy of modular housing implementation can be integrated with citizen participation and placemaking principles to create a liveable built environment that benefits displaced people as well as long-term residents. The findings identify multiple synergies: the rapid implementation of modular housing and the long-term development of vibrant and sustainable neighbourhoods.

Located along the river Göta Älv, Gothenburg boasts a rich industrial history that has shaped its identity and economic landscape. However, the decline of traditional industries has left behind outdated infrastructure and a car-centric urban design paradigm that hinders sustainable development. Moreover, the city's proximity to the river makes it particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, such as rising sea levels and extreme weather events.

To address these pressing issues, this master's thesis focuses on the transformation of the Southern Riverbank—a critical but underutilized coastal strip—into a vibrant and integrated part of Gothenburg's urban fabric. By adopting principles of regenerative development and innovative urban design strategies, the aim is to reimagine this area as a sustainable and reconnected resilient space that enhances the well-being of the city's residents while mitigating the effects of climate change.

Coastal areas, in particular, are globally threatened by rising sea levels, a consequence of factors such as thermal expansion, melting ice, and coastal erosion. Urban planning and design are closely intertwined with these challenges and should therefore prioritize spreading awareness and addressing them to ensure the safety of both human life and ecosystems when planning new neighborhoods.

Edinburgh, situated in Scotland, is just one of many cities worldwide located along the coast, with the entire city facing towards the sea. Despite the numerous challenges faced by coastal areas, it is crucial not to overlook their ecological and social significance. Coastal regions serve as vital habitats for biological diversity and are essential biotopes in their own right. Additionally, they hold immense recreational value, providing people with spaces to visit and enjoy leisure time. Seafield beach, a coastal area along Edinburgh's coastline, has unfortunately been neglected over the decades, caused by a decline in green diversity and increased pressure on ecosystems.

In this project, my aim is to design an area close to the coast while considering the potential impact of rising water levels. I propose a flexible design approach that can adapt to changing weather patterns, ensuring that residents are aware of climate change and prepared to respond accordingly. A place where flexibility and movable objects can be used as a tool for creating a desired character and atmosphere. Simultaneously, I seek to reclaim this beautiful location for the public of Edinburgh by enhancing the beach promenade and creating several key public spaces, transforming Seafield into an active and vibrant part of the city.

These rivers bless Tutians with fertile soil, turning the island into an agricultural hub. However, the annual river floods during the four-month rainy season bring substantial challenges, hindering urban growth and threatening lives, causing extensive harm across various aspects of life.

The community of Tuti, internationally recognized for their unity, independence, and resilience in facing flooding, earned acknowledgment from the UNDRR in 2015 as a Champion of Disaster Risk Reduction. Their mastery of traditional flood management systems, notably the Taya system, highlights their skill in coping with risk through indigenous knowledge.

This thesis advocates drawing inspiration from age-old local practices and utilizing the inherent wisdom of indigenous communities to create permanent solutions tailored to the environment. This includes involving locals, who have long played a crucial role in voluntary efforts to protect their homeland.

Furthermore, the thesis proposes an urban development plan for the island as a second phase of safeguarding it from flooding, aiming to support sustainable urban expansion and long-term residential appeal while enhancing its central strategic location in the middle of the three towns in Khartoum state.

By blending traditional wisdom with modern approaches, the goal is not only to mitigate the challenges posed by flooding but also to enrich the region's heritage and enhance its attractiveness as a new landmark.

Burghausen is a small town on the country site in Germany. The city itself promotes the usage of cars over biking and walking. The reasons for that are the sudden ending of bike paths and streets with no sidewalks. Also, looking at the Center of the Town supports that image, including wide streets, street parking, underground parking, and high-traffic streets.

Currently, there are beter places to spend time than the city center. People use it to get  shopping done and then go home again. Looking at the sidewalks serves the purpose of geting from A to B more than inviting pedestrians to stay and interact with each other. The reasons are fewer benches, a lack of quality squares, the safety of geting around on foot or biking, and noise pollution from the traffic. 

This project aims to transform the city center into a welcoming space encouraging people to stay and enjoy their time. We propose the development of a pedestrian street and a seasonal street, with roads being closed permanently or during the summer months. Parking spaces will be repurposed into sidewalks and squares. A comprehensive Toolbox will be implemented, including urban furniture, greenery, pocket parks, activities, road blockage, safe street crossing, and water management. These changes hold the promise of a more vibrant and atractive city center

Urban areas confront mounting challenges due to population growth, resource constraints and the escalating effects of climate change. Tackling these issues is crucial to ensure cities offer healthy and sustainable living conditions.

What research clearly indicates is that urban green and blue spaces have the potential to play a vital role in achieving the Sustainable Development goals of the United Nation. With connection to both urbanization and densification, as well as people’s health – not to mention climate change – the importance of nature and greenery can not be emphasized enough as its function and presence is important both on an individual level and for entire societies. Urban green and blue spaces not only provide benefits for the environment but also improve public health and well-being. The aim of this thesis is to investigate how the spatial organization of a densification development in Norrköping, Sweden, can be arranged with focus on green-blue values as a driver for transformation, activation and integration and create a lively, mixed used and pedestrian friendly district that also improves the overall connectivity in a city scale. The design proposal attempts to meet the needs of a growing city where the holistic benefits of green-blue values play the key role

One of those is Piura characterized by its hydrology because of the quantity of basins it has, and the fast increase of population over the last 60 years.

Because of its hydrology and location on the coast, this province is one of the most affected by “El Niño” southern oscillation, which is a superficial change of temperature in the water.

This situation occurs every 3 to 6 years which increase the temperature to around 10 °C, humidity, rainfall, river overflow, and reduction of agriculture and fishes on the ocean.

But 3 districts of this province have a particular situation, because of the pass of the main riverbed, which divided the urban fabric almost in two.

So, throughout history, that river has been part of the city since the first settlement and was considered a natural public space (small beach but also to graze animals).

Nowadays, it is used to trash rubbish and not included in any urban plans because is seen as a potential enemy related to the river overflow that has been flooding the city and destroying buildings and roads over the last 70 years.

For that reason, the vision of my project is to reactivate the river to reconnect the city with the history in which the river is the public heart of the urban life with new green areas, that will help to reduce the deficit of public areas through the design of a new corridor along the river, activated with new activities related with the existing ones around.

To then be able to say: WELCOME TO THE RIVER AGAIN!

Currently, Åkrehamn has a poorly defined town center, which limits the spaces people have to gather in. Thus, the design focuses on creating public spaces for residents to use throughout the year. It also has a strong climate, which currently limits the use of outdoor spaces. Additionally, Åkrehamn struggles with walkability because much of its development has been designed for driving, not walking. This limits the feeling of connection between the town center and the sea because many roads lack clear sidewalks, and there are not many people-focused or accessible places, especially along the harbor. Because of this, creating public spaces for the residents and designing connections between them is a priority in the design.

To achieve this, the project establishes a deployable toolbox of climate strategies and intervention methods that will be placed on the site strategically based on climate analysis findings. The interventions will have various performance scales, including large-scale building placements and smaller seasonal methods. Doing so allows for multiple levels of seasonal interactions as people move within and use the space throughout the year. By focusing on year-round adaptability, Climate Response explores how the town might further engage with its microclimate as it develops to create public spaces that remain pleasant and lasting over time.

In doing so, it aims to answer the following questions:

• How can microclimate analysis help identify vulnerable areas in local centers?
• How can climate-responsive design strengthen local centers and their connections?
• How can we apply climate strategies to create pleasant and lasting public spaces that respond to seasonal climate and movement

Rural areas in Europe cover around 80% of the land area together, but only 30% of EU’s population lives in rural areas. Mainly people settling in cities are from smaller settlements leaving their original homes empty and in a slowly degrading phase as fewer people live there, shops and schools close, there are less investments and less interest in people to call it a home. Rural settlement idea is to work together and provide the balance of people coverage. Creating sufficient network systems between small settlements can keep the existing functions running, strengthen communities and work towards future goals together.

As Baltic states are one of the countries ranking with the biggest decrease in population overall, small 15 settlements were analysed and compared in 1 municipality of each country. Comparison of spatial qualities and arrangements of the villages themselves concluded into a rating, that showed the most popular elements and functions as well as weaknesses between the villages, municipalities and Baltic State villages together.

Outdoor design, smart village tools and different scale connections were used to create a pilot project in Estonia’s municipality of Valga around Tsirgullina village. For achieving the goals 3 main target groups were defined, prioritizing existing residents the most, then concentrating on visitors and then on new residents in the future. After rebranding, providing daily features and sustainable solutions it shows how settlements can work sustainably together with 2 other similar scale villages.

The project begins with the part of the canal to the east of the city core: a large and open space full of water and greenery, yet strikingly few people stay here for longer time periods - why? 

Through a mapping of the area I cast light on just how affected it was by the post-war city renewal projects and is therefore lacking in many of the parameters that today are sought after while shaping new urban spaces.

In my work I try to find new ways in which we can rethink urban environments to accommodate more values parallel to each other: environmental, cultural and spatial. The poor water quality is an obstacle for many of the common functions we can imagine along water edges, because of this I examine how the aquatic environment gradually could be improved with rain water retaining planters, at the same time as more public spaces and stimulating walkways are created.

Examiner: Tomas Tägil
Supervisor: Nina Aronsen
The presentation will be held in Swedish

How can we make new additions and develop these semi-rural areas, not only to make them more accessible for humans, but for flora and fauna as well, so they actually can give something back to the landscape? 

Examiner: Lars-Henrik Ståhl
Supervisor: Tomas Tägil

By diving into the history and current condition of the building and its physical surroundings, and by utilizing B. Feilden’s theoretical model to assess its value, this study aims to establish principles for potential redevelopment.

The goal of this thesis is to explore the potential for extending the lifespan of a modern heritage building that has outlived its initial purpose and transforming it into a culturally relevant space. The aim is not only to benefit the historical building, but also to positively impact its surrounding environment and people. The design proposal seeks a balance between preserving historical worth while accommodating present-day necessities in the adaptive reuse of the Olympic Rowing Stadium in Helsinki.

The presentation will be held in English.

Thesis examiner: Ingela Pålsson Skarin
Thesis supervisor: Thomas Hellquist

Across the water to the north it faces Strandvägen, Stockholm’s second most exclusive address, and across the water to the south, the most exclusive address: the royal castle. Caught between the capital’s grandest sightlines lies a holdover from history, on the northern tip of Blasieholmen. This holdover is comprised of a brick customs house from 1875 with two wooden storage buildings added 50 years later. In the shadow of the National museum they might seem small and insignificant, even though the site they inhabit is large and situated directly on the coveted waterfront. Currently, the plot has been walled of for a number of years in the process of extending the city’s metro.

A number of attempts have been named to put the site to perceived better use, the latest being the monumental Nobel Center. These have all been struck down in favor of preserving the historical buildings, while the plot’s public use never extends beyond a parking lot. This thesis will examine the site and its possibilities – is there a compromise to be had between the past and a possible future? – resulting in a proposal for a museum for the textile arts incorporating the existing buildings with a new construction.

Supervisor: Fredrik Torisson
Examiner: Lars-Henrik Ståhl

Since heat exposure furthermore differs with material living conditions, it is in addition of particular importance that future cooling solutions are economically accessible to all in the population, as well as having the potential to function in urban environments, where most people are situated, and heat exposure is at its worst. While designing future buildings to better keep their occupants cool as Swedish heat waves will become both more intense and more common ahead, solutions for a Swedish context requires consideration also of that temperatures can be very low, thereby necessitating a comprehensive approach to non-energy-demanding ways to regulate building temperatures.

Against this background, the thesis at hand is aimed at proposing architectural responses to heat and the need for cooling in the urban dwelling environment. By looking into current and historical architectural solutions for regulating the internal building climate by passive measures, featured dwelling design proposals are informed both by technical and residential qualitative aspects of passive design. Based on research on human heat capacity as well as climatological studies, the architectural proposals are intended to increase resilience in relation to a changing climate by suggesting flexible and robust solutions that are operable by residents and not solely depending on external energy sources, by means of housing densification through a couple of different building scales.

Examiner: Lars-Henrik Ståhl
Supervisor: Tomas Tägil

The presentation will be held in Swedish

The buzz around this project? It's not just because it's new. It's how it's weaving a narrative with wood – yes, wood – in a cityscape that's more used to concrete and steel. We're talking Cross-laminated timber (CLT) and Glulam, materials that are shaking up the architectural world with their charm and strength. And at Hillerødgade 31, they're the stars of the show.

Here's the thing: building with wood in a busy urban spot comes with its playbook. There's the noise from the trains, the rush of cars on the motorway – challenges that demand clever design and sound-proofing magic. But this project is more than just a shield against urban clatter.

It's about giving life to the neighborhood. Picture a ground floor that's not just a space but a vibrant community hub. A café that spills its aroma onto the streets, a buzzing office hub – it's like the building's way of saying, 'Hey, come on in, be part of the story.' This is not just architecture; it's a conversation, a relationship with the city and its people, where the past meets the present, and wood becomes the language of urban transformation.

Nevertheless, buildings that have been classified as historically valuable are being tore down constantly. The role of modern transformation of the existing built environment isn’t viewed as controversial, at least not within the community of architects and building developers. But to rebuild the previously existing environment, is questioned and regarded as ”nostalgic”.

The starting point for this project is the demolition of an old maternity hospital called ”Hvita korset” built in the early 1920s, located in a small Swedish municipality called Älmhult. The buildings cultural historical value was determined as significant as the operations that took place there affected the whole country on a social and health-related level. The old perspective of illegitime children was being challenged as pregnant women out of wedlock from the whole country took refuge to this hospital to give birth. In this place children was being cared for, thousands of women were educated and in spite of far-reaching efforts from governmental level to shut down the hospital, it thrived for many years. This also happened to be the birthplace of the famous Swedish entrepreneur Ingvar Kamprad, that in his late stage of life donated 5 million kronor to Älmhult municipality for the purpose of preserving the building. 

Today there is no hospital. This project aims to analyze why, document historical and architectural values of the building and finally, to propose a new design for the site based on the vision of a modern resurrection of what has been lost.

Examinator: Ingela Pålsson Skarin
Handledare: Thomas Hellquist

However, for several decades, practically no new hut sites have been established. In this project, I am investigating what a contemporary mountain hut can be. What outdoor ideals can be reflected in such a building? What amenities do we want, and what do we not want?

STF has been using standardized hut designs since the beginning. It has been practical and economical, but also educational for guests to encounter familiar huts in new locations. Therefore, I have chosen to design a hut that can be placed in multiple locations and can also vary in size and function.

Each location is unique, and in order to find a generic solution, I have based my design on a specific location, the southern mouth of Tronndalen in the Lunndörrsfjällen in Jämtland. How should local topography, geography, and climate dictate the placement and organization of the building?

Supervisor: Tomas Tägil
Examiner: Jesper Magnusson

This all started from my experience as growing up in Sweden while having my Serbian heritage. During my time growing up I´ve had a hard time balancing two sides and always feeling less Serbian and less Swedish back and forth. I´ve always felt misunderstood whether its because of social codes or not knowing enough of each countries culture. Then one can just ask, “How is it for a person who moved to Sweden?”.

This thesis researches on how different Swedish culture is from other ones and how life in Sweden is with a different cultural background. Why do these cultural clashes occur and how can they maybe clash less. By getting an understanding of this a conversation can be made about why we are different but also at the same time not. And how do we create a space for people who have a hard time claiming their space here and get some stability in terms of money and safety. How do also an architect do that without much interference, since myself have a Swedish background and probably think very Swedish?

My diary through a project thesis.

Examiner: Fredrik Torisson
Contributors: Nina Aronsen & Sandra Kopljar

Presents in Swedish.

The strategy has been to contribute to the larger story of the forest through a smaller one, in this case a story about a small sawmill situated south of Hässleholm.

Supervisor: Nina Aronsen
Examiner: Sandra Kopljar

In 2015, the market hall in the center of Moravian Ostrava was closed and demolished and since then the 3rd largest city in the Czech Republic does not have its own permanent marketplace. Despite the fact that years have passed, the topic is still relevant and the interest of citizens to create such a place in the city is visible and growing.

“Marketplace in Ostrava – Market within market“ is a project dealing with the topic of the marketplace - place of various kinds of exchange, that tries to find answers to questions based on the collected information from interviews, literature studies, field studies, newspaper articles and design proposal.

Main questions:

Does the market still have a place in the city of 2023?

What should the nowadays market be? (in terms of form, program, aesthetics)

What can it offer to the people, to the city, apart from selling fresh and quality food?

Where in Ostrava should it be located?

The project documents the development of an experimental fabrication process for large scale programmable structural textiles, testing aspects such as adhesion, scale, materiality, and textile stretching. The fabrication process required adapting the workflow to different types of 3D printers as well as building and programming both the hardware and software of a 3D printing extruder attachment for an ABB IRB 2400 robot arm.

The results from the fabrication testing were used to inform a series of small-scale prototypes. These prototypes were consolidated into a comprehensive design system that accounts for programmable material behaviors, considering factors such as textile material, filament material, line thickness, and the design of the printed geometry. The project culminated in the design and fabrication of a collection of large-scale prototypes. Each prototype features pre-programmed structural warping informed by the material behavior design system. 

Like many European countries, Switzerland faces the challenge of an ageing population. In the capital Bern, there are neighbourhoods such as Schlosshalde-Murifeld with a share of 20-25 % residents over 65 years of age, and this share is expected to increase.

The design of age-appropriate urban renewal is therefore particularly important here. Currently on the site, the city highway is a major barrier between neighbourhoods, green spaces and people. The car-oriented structure has a negative impact on the activity level and independence of older people and thus on their physical and mental health. In addition, the current housing market in Bern does not address the needs of older people - there is a lack of affordable, barrier-free housing, advice on age-appropriate housing and a more diverse range of housing.

With my design proposal, I would like to activate older people and integrate them into the life of the district. In concrete terms, this means:

Active: The neighbourhood will promote physical and social activities by providing safe and short walking and cycling routes, as well as active green spaces and public facilities in close proximity that can be used by all, regardless of age.

Inclusive: The design integrates all people, but especially older people, by addressing their needs and weaknesses, e.g. through barrier-free access and housing as well as benches and public toilets.

Together: The design should encourage interaction between old and young. The neighbourhood offers housing forms that promote social interaction, such as intergenerational housing and public spaces that bring people together regardless of their age or social status.

The post-industrial districts of many cities present perhaps the greatest opportunity for this adaption. Typically occupying strategically located sites, existing structures can be retained, and thus the imbued carbon stored within, and contribute to the creation of a sense of place and identity. The neglected spaces of these districts, often left to nature, provide urban biodiversity hotspots as a base for future reinforcement. Cultural activity is often drawn to these areas too, acting as haven for fringe and alternative culture.

Copenhagen has faced rapid growth since the near bankruptcy of the 1990s, regenerated as a Scandinavian cultural epicentre and elevated to the status as one of the world’s most liveable cities – praised for the high-quality public spaces, preservation of architectural identity and expansive soft mobility networks. However, gentrification, inequality, and climate adaption are just some of the major challenges to the city.

Following the loss of shipbuilding, Refshaleøen, an artificial peninsula in Central Copenhagen, presents one such example of post-industrial opportunity, gazetted by authorities as a future prospective area spurred by the expansion of the Copenhagen Metro. This thesis investigates one possible intervention that places the established cultural, architectural and natural elements as the primary design drivers for a human-scaled, climate-resilient and future-proof proposal.

We as urban designers are planning the cities of tomorrow, but climate adaptation of cities should have happened yesterday.
Therefore, it is important not to wait any longer, but to adapt cities to the consequences of climate change.

The wholesale market in Munich is a monofunctional area in the middle of the metropolis. It is characterized by large areas of sealed surfaces, little green infrastructure, and buildings in need of renovation. At the moment, the wholesale market area is not accessible to the public, so it is even more important to make an area in such a central location tangible for everyone.

The aim is to transform this mono-functional area into a multifunctional, vibrant, sustainable district, without losing its character and identity as a wholesale market. In this process, the wholesale market is to find its place and interact with places of interaction in addition to residential, commercial, and retail buildings. To counteract climate change, elements of the blue-green infrastructure will be implemented across the entire site. As water is a valuable resource, it is to be made tangible and visible in different ways to draw attention to it simultaneously.
In the end, the goal is to bring positive climatic changes and minimize heat islands, as well as relieve the burden on sewers and avoid inner-city flooding.

Emerging trends show an increased interest of families with children that want to stay in denser urban settings, where they have their established life and social network. This is an opportunity for cities to keep an important demographic that adds to economic and social sustainability while on the larger scale also could have positive impacts on ecological sustainability.

The thesis's main theme is on social sustainability in urban environments with a special focus on families. The centrally located old harbor area south of Bäveån in the

Swedish town of Uddevalla will act as a testbed for the design project. With the baseline of creating a dense, vibrant and ecologically sustainable urban neighborhood, the design proposal also tests interventions and programming that can attract families with children to also be able to live in these settings.

Despite having the potential to be an active urban center due to its privileged location, the gregarious scale currently fails to fulfill its role as a meeting place as proposed by Lucio Costa. It is divided into various sectors with predominantly mono-functional activities. As a result, its public spaces end up being underutilized and the presence of people is generally restricted to business hours. The wide, pedestrian-unfriendly roads that cut through the sectors and the excess of hard surface to the detriment of green areas are other obstacles to a pleasant urban experience in the area. The space available within the perimeter of Brasília’s historical protected area is limited and it is therefore important that it is put to better use.

Therefore, the objective of this work is to reformulate the central area of Brasilia as it is today, so that it fulfills its original function as a living center conducive to encounters, as proposed by Lucio Costa. In this work, the South Banking Sector will be the model project for developing urban transformation strategies that can be reapplied to other sectors of the city center. This choice was made because of its privileged location and availability for densification.

Advisors:  Teresa Arana Aristi and Jonna Ekholm
Examiner: Lars-Henrik Ståhl

Västerås city center is highly imprinted by the modernistic planning and architecture, which is protected as a cultural heritage. The city has a long history and the growth accelerated with the industrialization during the 19th and 20th centuries. Västerås became a strong industrial city that still characterizes the city. Large department stores with malls are dominating the cityscape and the streets are wide. Whilst this heritage is a large part of the city center identity, it lacks human scaled public places for people.

This project focuses on creating these places, where people can meet, rest, learn and play on equal terms. Developing a public realm where citizens, visitors and businesses feel included and seen, creating a sense of belonging.

The city center has throughout history been characterized as a place of retail. This has evolved from city markets to indoor shops, department stores, shopping malls to e-commerce. Therefore, the role of city centers as the commercial heart has weakened. But by enhancing the public realm, such as parks, squares, and streets, adding activities and new functions, other reasons to visit the city center will be strengthened making people come back.

Developing the city center as the heart of the city which beats through the public places.

Sverige har hållits på armslängds avstånd och får ställa ut var sjätte år på konstbiennalen och vart sjätte år på arkitekturbiennalen i den nordiska paviljongen.

Examensarbetet är ett förslag på en svensk nationell paviljong till Venedigbiennalens trädgårdar, Giardini. Den nationella paviljongen ska ta både den unika lokala kontexten i åtanke men framförallt Sveriges kultur eftersom paviljongen är en plats för världen att uppleva Sverige. Det svenska vemodet bedöms vara det som är särpräglande för den svenska kreativiteten. Analysen utgår från svenska konstnärer och sociala strukturer som är särskiljande för Sverige.

En ny metod för att översätta konst till arkitektur tas sedan fram. Begreppet "dramaturgisk sekvensering" myntas och blir ett sätt att tolka musik, lyrik, film och teater för att sedan omvandla det i arkitektur och rumsliga upplevelser. Begreppet kopplar till den dramaturgiska modellen som används inom all form av dramatik. Den dramaturgiska modellen kopplas samman det med bland annat Gaston Bachelards teori kring "den poetiska bilden". Tranströmers dikt ”Haydn” tolkas genom dramaturgisk sekvensering för att skapa ett förslag till den svenska paviljongen.

Platsen jag valt för mitt projekt ligger i Ronneby, där jag kommer från, och har givit mig mycket energi och andrum genom åren. Naturens variation och havets närvaro gör platsen perfekt för projektets ändamål. Jag vill med platsens förutsättningar i fokus skapa arkitektur där rummen främjar upplevelsen av naturen, stillheten men även bidrar till lusten att skapa.

I mitt projekt är hållbar turism en stor motivering och ett viktigt mål att uppnå. Turismen i Blekinge är inte stor idag trots de många möjligheter som finns och den unika naturnärvaro som erbjuds. Att öka turismen hade gynnat städer och landsbygd, som med åren tynar bort. I mitt projekt undersöker och diskuterar jag hur man kan göra det på ett ekonomiskt och ekologiskt hållbart sätt som är skonsamt för naturen och som på lång sikt gynnar både människor och miljö, och jag gör det utifrån förutsättningarna på en specifik plats vid namn Gö. Samspelet mellan natur och arkitektur är givet en viktig del av projektet.

Destinationsprojektet syftar till att locka människor till platsen och dess program är därför viktig för att skapa det intresse som krävs, utöver att naturen och platsen i sig är en dragningskraft i sig. I projektet är konst och kreativt skapande ett verktyg för att locka konstnärer att stanna och arbeta på platsen samt skapa utställningar som i sig lockar betraktare. Programmet består alltså av övernattning, ateljéer, verkstad, flexibla rum för utställning, restaurang samt en bastu.  Kombinationen av funktioner ska skapa intressanta möten samt göra platsen attraktiv för en bred massa.

Den är inte alltid öppen, men tar jag mig in genom grinden kan jag gå upp och ner längs de smala gångarna i timmar och spana på varenda rabatt och fruktträd.

Det finns ett antal element som återkommer i nästan alla koloniträdgårdar: Stugan, trädgårdslandet, blomsterrabatten, fruktträden samt någon form av utomhusmöblemang. Kolonistugan är i de flesta fall belägen i bakkanten av tomten. Från stugan leder sedan en liten gång som kantas av blomsterrabatter och trädgårdsland hela vägen fram till en häck eller ett staket som skärmar av trädgården från gången utanför, där jag står.

Jag kan inte låta bli att fundera över hur det hade varit om jag själv hade haft en egen koloniträdgård här. Jag tänker att jag hade vetat precis vilken ros som luktar godast på kvällen, vilka träd som silar ljuset från de första och de sista solstrålarna varje dag och vem av grannarna som tar den första förmiddagsfikan på dagen.

Men egentligen vill jag nog inte ha en egen trädgård, inte just nu i alla fall. Men en liten bänk att slå mig ner på, det jag hade kunnat tänka mig.

I mitt examensarbete testar jag koloniområdet som typologi i staden och hur den skulle kunna utvecklas. Med utgångspunkter i den egyptiska trädgården samt hamnens strukturella uppbyggnad har jag arbetat med att gestalta ett nytt urbant koloniområde. Förutom att trädgårdarna får lov att kolonisera outnyttjad mark i staden, ger projektet också plats för andra personer som uppehåller sig på platsen.

In nudity we’re all equal. However, the public bath house’s importance as a meeting place has seen a decline as indoor plumbing became accessible to the greater public in the beginning of the 20th century. This decline has continued to this day. Social media and its effect on mental health and body insecurities which make younger generations more ambivalent to nudeness in public space, posing a challenge to establishments preserving the social aspect and traditions of the communal bathing.

This project aims at reinvigorate Hamnparken in Malmö, by creating a new park and a bath house rooted in historical and cultural bathing traditions. The project is an experiment on how the merging of landscape and architecture can make the park more interesting while also creating a safe space for nudity that is exposed to the city. By exploring different bathing sequences and rituals and using them as a foundation for the design, the project tries to achieve a social sanctuary in which visitors are comfortable appropriating space in their nudeness.

Hur kan fler människor välkomnas i naturen och kan ett gestaltat tillägg i denna miljö tillgodose olika behov och brukargrupper? Hur kan en mindre tätort stärkas på lokal nivå genom att bjuda in fler människor till dess närliggande natur? 

Det görs redan mycket i vårt land för att understödja möjligheten att ta del av naturmiljöer. Jag upplever dock ett glapp mellan det jag vill benämna som vardagsrekreation, exempelvis promenaden i det närliggande naturområdet, och det mer extrema och utmanande friluftslivet, exempelvis en fjällvandring. Det senare ställer allt som oftast krav på kunskap, utrustning, ekonomi och kräver i många fall även att brukaren måste resa långt. Genom att minska detta mentala och fysiska glapp tror jag att chanserna att fler tar steget till att utforska och ta del av rekreationsområden kan öka.    

Förutsättningarna för planering och utveckling av rurala områden står i stor kontrast till de exempel jag oftast fått ta del av under arkitektutbildningen. Stark befolkningsökning, fokus på tillväxt och ett högt exploateringstryck gör den växande staden till norm för hur vi angriper projekt, i skolan såväl som inom branschen. Det blir då viktigt att påminna sig om att dessa omständigheter och förhållningssätt inte är applicerbara överallt. Idag framhävs förtätning, gröna stadsrum och urban biodiversitet samtidigt som intresset för landsbygden ses öka både i arkitekturdiskussioner och bland gemene person. 

Projektet undersöker hur en katalysator för friluftsliv i den skånska orten Tjörnarp kan skapa synergieffekter i mötet mellan naturen och det rurala samhället.

Idag visas både permanenta och tillfälliga utställningar som berättar om skånsk kultur likväl som världskultur. Utställningarna är spridda över ett flertal byggnader, enligt bestämda teman. Trots det uppger Kulturen att det råder platsbrist.

Detta examensarbete undersöker hur Kulturen i Lund skulle kunna utöka sina utställningsytor, beaktat kulturhistoriska världen och lokal byggnadstradition. En ny utställningshall presenteras. Gestaltningen grundas i en undersökning av sambandet mellan stadsstruktur och byggnad, muren som arkitektur, samt den mystiska tiden.

Med utgångspunkt i tångens odlings- och förädlingsprocess undersöker arbetet genom en rationell produktionsanläggning hur ett närmre förhållande till produktion kan etableras. Vilka arkitektoniska kvalitéer och andra värden kan det generera? Då tångindustrin är relativt ny och outforskad i Sverige blir aspekter av tid och ovisshet viktig. En säsongsbunden livscykel tillåter dynamiska skiftningar av funktioner i anläggningens rum och kopplar oss inte endast närmre råvaran utan också platser för produktion.       

Projektet tar plats i Nyhamnen i Malmö. Området är idag fast mellan sin industrihistoria och spekulativa stadsutvecklingsplaner. Ett bortglömt och avspärrat hamnområde endast ett stenkast från centralstationen blir därför en intressant plats att testa gränserna mellan industri, stad, natur och människor.       

The thesis digs into the fundamentals of natural light. Why to use it and how to use it in architecture, with the help of lighting typologies and daylight simulations. To make the cabin livable even in the darkest hours of the day and year, multi-sensory design and design for low-vision are also investigated and implemented into the proposal.

To further explore how light and shade can be simulated and represented, the thesis applies a perception based evaluation method in the form of real-time rendering using Unreal Engine 5. This also brings an interactivity to the proposal where it is possible to move around freely and experience the building through different hours of the day and season.

Krapina-Zagorje is a region severely impacted by the shrinking and aging of its population. This thesis approaches depopulation from an architectural viewpoint. The retirement home typology is leveraged to address senior care needs while improving the long-term sustainability of rural communities.

To design a realistic and economical retirement home, the legal framework in Croatia was investigated. Along with this, several reference projects have been examined, demonstrating the development of retirement homes in the last 70 years. To integrate the design proposal into the local context and leverage the qualities of existing rural patterns, a detailed survey of the region was carried out in search of good building sites.

During early planning, the chosen site and its surroundings were taken as a starting point. A building for 60 residents was deemed appropriate given the site's layout. The retirement home's common areas were expanded to accommodate residents of the surrounding village, improving integration into the existing community.

The retirement home as a typology was found to have great potential to act towards revitalisation of rural areas, which was demonstrated in the design proposal. However, for this potential to materialize in other projects, a committed and meaningful architectural interaction with the building's wider context is always necessary.

Supervisor: Elin Daun

Examiner: Jesper Magnusson

 Samtidigt finns ett växande missnöje med arkitekturens utseende och plats i staden som blivit allt större bland allmänheten. Dessa utmaningar följs också av behovet att projektera och bygga snabbare än någonsin förr som komplicerar situationen ytterligare.

Dessa problem är det som grundade frågeställningen till detta examensarbete. Vilka estetiska värden finns i den cirkulära ekonomin?

Monument för skiften är ett utforskande examensarbete där frågeställningen undersöks genom olika teorier. Inom ramen för estetiska värden diskuteras begrepp om skönhet, tektonik, formspråk och formgivning för att följas av en diskussion om cirkulär ekonomi och design med extra fokus på Doughnut Economics. Frågeställningen besvaras delvis av en ny fråga utifrån de undersökta källorna där estetiskt värde diskuteras i förhållande till det sekulära samhället och den globala kapitalismen och hur detta förändras i perspektivet av en cirkulär ekonomi. Hur estetik som grundar sig i omätbara värderingar påverkas av ett samhälle där rationalitet, mätbarhet och ekonomisk tillväxt är det högst värderade.

Teorin följs av tre utforskande gestaltningar som kanaliserar innehållet från undersökningarna och frågorna som uppkommit utifrån dem. Monument har genom historien representerat händelser och ideologier från dess samtid på olika sätt, Inte bara för att blicka bakåt utan också framåt och inåt och visa vad som är viktigt för en kultur vid det tillfället. Monument används i examensarbetet som ett verktyg till att pröva uttryck som utnyttjar material och tekniker kopplade till cirkulära designmetoder vars gestaltningar undersöker representationer för en sekulär tro där materialets liv och död står i centrum av samhället.

Längst i norr, lutande mot berget, ligger min familjs sommarställe där jag spenderat alla min barndoms somrar. På tomten finns idag fem små stugor, de flesta byggda av min mormors man Anders eller hans pappa Gösta.

Sedan många år tillbaka pågår det en diskussion i Stockholms skärgård: om skillnaden mellan äldre och samtida arkitektur. Jag har funderat på om frågan om huruvida samtida arkitektur passar in egentligen handlar om något annat än stil. Den franska filosofen Maurice Merleau-Ponty talade om kroppen som en förutsättning för vår förståelse av världen och att vi som subjekt snarare är en oskiljaktig del av den snarare än enskilda objekt som rör oss vid sidan av varandra. Fanns det en starkare koppling mellan det byggda och de boende då, eftersom man ofta själv byggde sina hus och därmed hade en annan kroppslig förståelse för det byggda? Man använde material från platsen och byggandet tog längre tid, under vilken platsens okvantifierbara värden hann ge sig till känna.

Med ett autoetnografiskt perspektiv har jag försökt förstå hur fenomenologiska angreppssätt kan användas i gestaltningsprocessen – kan det leda till en samtida arkitektur i större samklang med sin omgivning?

Det här examensarbetet undersöker hur vi kan visa mer omsorg för och med arkitektur och argumenterar för att care, eller omsorg, behöver integreras som en självklar del i praktiken. Genom feministisk posthumanistisk teori och care som teoretiskt begrepp dekonstruerar jag de könade maktrelationerna av omsorgsarbete och väver istället samman arkitektur, care och hemslöjd för att omvärdera vad arkitektur är och kanske bör vara.

Idag lever vi i en värld präglad av neoliberala och kapitalistiska värden där byggbranschen orsakar stor skada på planeten. I ljuset av dessa utmaningar vill jag omformulera uppfattningen av arkitektur som en produkt och istället förstå den som en form av omsorgsarbete som tar ansvar för alla delar av arkitekturens livscykel.

Arbetet tar avstamp i min mormors berättelser om hemslöjd som reproduktivt arbete på landsbygden där de levde med begränsade resurser och tog hand om det de hade. Genom att sammanväva mormors erfarenheter av att laga en virkad filt, sticka ett täcke, eller fläta en korg, med teorier kring care och omsorgsarbete utvecklas diskussioner som ifrågasätter hur vi idag förhåller oss till den redan byggda miljön och till planeten i stort.

Idén om Matkulturhuset kom till efter att det påbörjats ett Leader-projekt för att belysa gamla kulturgrödors existens och betydelse. Husets huvudsakliga syfte är att tillhandahålla en plats för utbildning och förädling av dessa grödor. Det skall skapa intresse och vara en betydande dragningskraft till hembygdsföreningen för en ny, bredare, besökarkrets. Och det skall även gynna, samt förstärka, det lokala näringslivet kring livsmedel. Aktörer inom matproduktion och jordbruk ska få en ny mötesplats och ett ställa för att visa upp och dela sina kunskaper.

Hur kommer då ett sådant hus se ut? Vad ska det innehålla?

Arbetet med gestaltningen av huset har skett med Hembygdsföreningen i rollen som beställare. Dess program och innehåll har arbetats fram i samråd med dem och det slutliga skissförslaget kommer att användas av dem för att förmedla idén om ett Matkulturhus på Bjäre.

Detta för att en kulturhistoriskt viktig byggnad ska få finnas kvar, och genom en ny funktion kan platsen förbli betydelsefull för Stockholm. Hangarens stora dimensioner och karaktäristiska kvaliteter, som jättelika skjutdörrar, stålkonstruktion och högt sittande fönster, passar bra för ett kulturhus olika verksamheter.

Projektet har bestått av research, kartläggning, konceptutveckling samt gestaltning. Några viktiga frågor för konceptet har varit - Hur kommer man in i Hangaren? - Vad händer runtomkring Hangaren? - Hur fyller man Hangaren med rum? - Vem är Hangaren till för? Resultatet blev ett kulturhus i fyra våningar, med både stora öppna utrymmen där besökaren kan se alla de karaktäristiska attribut Hangaren har kvar, samt mindre rum med mer bestämda funktioner. Det finns bland annat ateljéer, verkstad, läsplatser, bibliotek, café, restaurang, hörsal samt flera utställningsrum. De stora skjutdörrarna från originalbyggnaden har återintroducerats och skapar en flytande gräns mellan Hangarens inre och de öppna ytorna utanför. Platsen kan bli en unik plats i Stockholm med stora programmeringsbara ytor, 30-tals arkitektur och nya mötesplatser för konst- och kulturintresserade.

In ancient times, architects focused on designing structures that served practical functions such as providing shelter and protection. The architecture of the Greek and Roman empires emphasized symmetry, proportion, and aesthetics, demonstrating the importance of beauty and harmony in the built environment. During the Renaissance, architects began to see themselves as artists and intellectuals, using their skills to create structures that were not only functional but also beautiful.

In the modern era, architects have continued to push the boundaries of design, incorporating new materials, technology, and sustainable practices into their work. Today, innovative designs emphasize harmony with nature, organic materials, and functional spaces. With the advent of new technologies such as 3D printing and virtual reality, as architects are we now able to create even more complex and intricate designs that were previously impossible to achieve.

One area where the role of architecture has become increasingly central is healthcare. In recent decades, there has been a growing recognition of the impact of the built environment on the healing process and patient outcomes. As a result, healthcare architecture has become more focused on creating spaces that promote wellness, comfort, and a sense of calm for patients, families, and healthcare professionals. Elysium is a proposal that prioritizes the experience of spaces in the treatment of childhood cancer. Leaving behind any compromise with rational aspects, the design is totally focused on experience, on light, color and the successions of sensations.

Dagens bostadspriser i innerstäderna och den höga efterfrågan på tomter med närhet till stan leder till förändringar runt Sveriges storstäder i just områden som detta.

Platser som Karlskronaviken besitter den unika kvaliteten att befinna sig mellan stad och land - en plats där du kan leva i och med naturen, men samtidigt ta del av det urbana livet. När allt fler bosätter sig permanent i dessa områden ställer det krav på kommunerna att bygga ut avlopp, bredda vägarna och utveckla övrig service. Bristen på reglering och ekonomiska intressen från både kommunen och privata aktörer leder i många fall till att platsens kvaliteter byggs bort och att områdets karaktär förändras. Befintliga tomter styckas av för nybyggnation, fritidshus byggs om till permanentbostäder eller rivs för att även här ge plats åt ett större nybygge. Stora delar av skogen tas bort, fuktig mark torrläggs, och strandskydd kringgås. En annan aspekt är att tillgänglighet och rekreationsmöjligheter byggs bort.

Projektet Mellan stad och land är en reaktion och kritik mot den nybyggnation som sker i Karlskronaviken idag. Målet är att genom analys av området, dess förutsättningar, historiska bakgrund, naturvärden och byggtradition undersöka vad det är som skapar kvalitet och karaktär i området och ta fram riktlinjer för en försiktigare, mer hänsynsfull nybyggnation.

Det största problemet jag har med min process är att jag har en tendens att bli för självkritisk i tidigt skede vilket leder till låsningar i arbetet. För att komma runt detta vill jag öva på att växla mellan det intuitiva skapandet och det analytiska. Jag försöker producera en mängd material mer intuitivt för att sedan ta ett steg tillbaka och analysera, kritisera och göra urval. Genom att arbeta med omtolkningar mellan olika medium hoppas jag kunna öppna nya infallsvinklar i arbetet och hindra dessa stoppklossar i processen. Till min hjälp använder jag mig av Jockum Nordströms utställning "Inget papper, inga mynt” som ett startskott och inspirationskälla i detta utforskande. Genom att synliggöra min process hoppas jag kunna uppmuntra till egen reflektion hos andra studenter.

I arbetet beskrivs hur Oceanhamnen i Helsingborg inom ramarna för visionen H+, har gått från att ha varit ett slutet industriområde, till att bli en aktiverad plats i staden. Lokala, regionala och riksintressen står mot varandra och skapar ett moment 22 varför transformationsprocessen stagnerat.

Det presenteras ett förslag på hur platsen kunde förvaltas under tiden mellan aktiveringsfasen och den slutgiltiga exploateringen. Förslaget är utformat så att det kan appliceras på framtida faser i förverkligandet av Helsingborgs vision H+, vilken innefattar transformationen av enorma industriområden till bostadsområden.

I gestaltningsförslaget utforskas hur man kan arbeta i ett särskilt material, hur det påverkar arkitekturen och hur ett hus med en begränsad livslängd kan gestaltas på ett ansvarsfullt sätt.

Grön-By presenterar en vision där ett nytt bostadsområde på landsbygden skapar förutsättningar för social gemenskap. I detta examensarbete undersöker jag hur man med hjälp av bebyggelsens utformning och sociala insatser kan främja social interaktion i den fysiska miljön.

Arbetet studeras i sex skalor som undersöker det spontana mötet, rörelseflödet och gränsen mellan det privata och offentliga rummet. Varje skala omfattas av ett eller flera principer som avser att främja den sociala gemenskapen, principer som uppmuntrar människor att socialiseras och aktivt forma sitt sociala nätverk i området.

Vattenhanteringsstrategier i landskapet och runt om byggnader finns det många exempel på. Men få har undersökt möjligheterna till vattenförvaring inuti en byggnad. Hur man lokalt kan utnyttja det regnvattnet som faller på tomten till rekreation och meningsfulla funktioner i byggnaden. I Sverige är regn ofta ett negativt laddat begrepp och något man gärna vill undvika. Men genom att visa på ett gestaltningsförslag som uppmuntrar att fokusera på vattnet som en resurs istället för ett problem, kanske detta skapar nya sätt att se på översvämningsfrågan.

Projektet äger rum i Malmö, en stad som de senaste åren utsatts för flertalet extrema skyfall, i synnerhet skyfallet 2014 som orsakade stora marköversvämningar och slog ut flertalet viktiga samhällsfunktioner. Malmö förutses också ligga i riskzonen för framtida översvämningar, inte minst skyfallsrelaterade.

Detta examensarbete undersöker hur en sådan byggnad skulle kunna gestaltas för att omhänderta och förvalta det vatten som faller över tomten. Hur påverkas de rumsliga miljöerna där vatten är ett viktigt element och hur kan dessa ge experimentella egenskaper till byggnaden?

Redan nu och inte minst under coronapandemin har människan närmat sig den digitala värden med stormsteg. Arbete hemifrån är idag inte längre ett undantag utan ett vanligt mönster i arbetslivet. Människans önskan att leva närmare naturen blir viktigare och skapar en motreaktion mot det kompakta livet i staden.

Hur ter sig människans önskan att leva närmre naturen, kan vi skapa arkitektur som ger tillgång till grönska direkt utanför deras vardagsrums dörr i en starkt urbaniserad miljö? Fokuset i detta arbete har varit att undersöka hur en fusion mellan villakvarter och ett urbant boende skulle kunna se ut i den framtida staden.

Yet, this quality is rarely utilised because of the perception that a built environment cannot be compared to a natural environment. By recognizing the possibilities of nature, how it can be used and preserved, can we design an environment that is both built and natural.

Built urban areas is continuously growing, being renewed, and repurposed to fit the society´s current needs. As of this, there are great opportunities for exploring solutions on how to integrate nature within our cities. We need to rethink how we approach designing and consider ecological systems at a primary stage of development.

This thesis aims to investigating how we can design for biodiversity and how nature can coexist within our urban environments. In using the field of ecology as the main driver for design and development it is evident that the built and natural environment is not separated from each other, they are rather closely connected and linked.

My research work has resulted in an ecological design methodology, where ecological principles create the foundation for discussion of ecological design concepts. The methodology is intended to be used by architects and urban designers in the initial stages of development. It presents a variety of concepts that will help guide the design to be of ecological benefit. The methodology is a comprehensive summary of the field of ecology, distilled into simple principles and concepts that are applicable to design.

I det här examenarbetet undersöker jag hur mångsidigt användbara bostäder kan utformas på platsen. I de bostäder som byggs idag premieras ofta vissa typer av boendekonstellationer framför andra. Planlösningar med kombinerat kök och vardagsrum, som fungerar som genomgångsrum för att nå små och svårmöblerade sovrum, förekommer allt oftare. Aspekter som begränsar en mångsidig användning av hemmet. Forskning pekar på fördelarna med en anpassningsbar bostad som kan möta behoven hos olika typer av hushåll.

I gestaltningen av de nya bostäderna på Bellevuegården har jag bland annat arbetat med rumssamband, där rymliga rum kopplas till ett neutralt utrymme i bostaden. Genom en tillfällig vägg eller modul kan vissa rum i lägenheterna avskiljas och växla funktion från vardagsrum till exempelvis sovrum.

Arbetet inleds med en litteraturstudie där jag med hjälp av referenser har undersökt hur anpassbarheten i bostaden utvecklats över tid i Sverige. Sedan beskrivs och analyseras förutsättningarna på platsen för det tilltänka gestaltningsprojektet. I arbetet med att åstadkomma mångsidigt användbara lägenheter har jag skissat på olika planlösningar och hämtat mycket inspiration från mina referensexempel. Slutligen presenteras ett gestaltat förslag i form av ett nytt kvarter med lägenheter som är tänkta att bjuda in en bred användargrupp.

Samtidigt finns resurser och engagemang på landsbygden som ofta saknas i en stadskontext. Lägre markpriser och svagare marknadskrafter i kombination med starka ideella initiativ öppnar upp för möjligheten att testa nya idéer.

Detta examensarbete syftar till att diskutera boendets roll på landsbygden, samt att undersöka byggande bortom större, vinstdrivande aktörer. Arbetet riktar in sig på byarna längs Råne älvdal i Luleå kommuns norra planeringsområde, vilket av översiktsplanen särskilt pekas ut för landsbygdsutveckling i strandnära lägen. Examensarbetet tar sin utgångspunkt i de visioner som lokala ekonomiska föreningar har för bygden, och analyserar dem i förhållande till kommunens planeringsdokument samt ödehusinventering.

Genom en kartläggning av byarna längs Råne älvdal, analyser av det upplevda bostads- och lokalbehovet samt goda referensprojekt, söker examensarbetet efter strategier för att skapa levande boendemiljöer i en glesbygdskontext. Projektet landar slutligen i ett gestaltningsförslag, som ett mer konkret exempel på hur nya boendemiljöer skulle kunna se ut. Detta förslag utgår från den gamla skolan i byn Böle, och resonerar kring hur strategiska, kommunala markförvärv skulle kunna utgöra startskottet för en byutveckling över längre tid.

Densification in this way ensures that no green spaces or other high quality city spaces are lost to housing. And when done carefully, it may lead to some social and economic gains as well. Considering the amount of available space on top of carport garages in Lund, housing for about 1000 people could be built like this. That would support an increase of approximately 1% of residents in Lund.

A connected society has the power to bring about change. As connectedness to place develops, so does awareness and mindfulness. This dynamic can be an important tool for sustainable urban design and must be considered when creating new neighborhoods or improving existing ones.

Perhaps the most important way we can address the challenges of living, using, and planning unconsciously for decades (or centuries) without consideration for the ecosystem in which we live, is to live in coexistence. The concept for "Wasserstadt - a place of coexistence" can be traced to the concept of "Existential Sustainability." The relationship between sustainable actions and our existence over time demonstrates the importance of preserving historical and cultural heritage, nurturing the present, and creating a livable future for generations to come.

This project takes place in Hanover, Germany, on the former industrial site of the Continental company. The spatial design of the Wasserstadt is closely linked to the environment in which it is located.

The three-legged strategy of:

1.        Repair the fabric and existing structures of historical value

2.       Highlight the identity of the place

3.       Connect urbanity and nature

translates time-related sustainable actions into design and makes sure that the development addresses the needs and interests of the engaged-and-affected community of the existent, surrounding neighborhoods. The unique site identity plays a critical role throughout the design process: canals and scattered nearby habitats will continue to thrive, and a new social center will emerge. Whereas the former industrial site cut a hole in the urban fabric, the new infrastructure highlights the site's historic heritage and creates accessible and inclusive public spaces.

However, nowadays, public squares are often nearly abandoned urban voids, rather than centers of social interaction and fermentation. Capitalistic development, the rapidly increasing privatization and individualism, the continuous densification of the built environment, and the lack of co-presence have weakened the use of open public space. As a result, urban squares are often used as open parking lots by individuals, metro stations, extension-spaces for food service, or they mainly keep a symbolic, past-mongering character. Monumental fountains and sculptures, unsustainable materials, rough surfaces, lack of trees, poor lighting, and other problematic elements create an old-fashioned and unfriendly experience for users of public space.

This project presents the redesign of three public squares in Athens, Berlin, and Copenhagen.  The redesigns were informed by extensive critical analysis, typological categorizations, and observations of historical public squares in the aforementioned European cities. Participatory planning methods, such as questionnaires and interviews, were also used in the design process to encourage the social aspects of urban planning.

The central intention of the project is to holistically reconsider the design of public squares and suggest a socially sustainable planning approach that takes into account people's common needs, as well as different design requirements based on site-specific characteristics such as cultural identity, surrounding functions, microclimate, topography, etc.

In 2005 in San Francisco - USA - the Rebar design team presented a new approach to mitigate the alienation experienced in cities. They rented a metered car parking space, equipping it with seating and vegetation, creating a community space to empower art, activism and cultural expression. Since, this idea has flourished and has been tested in many cities around the world, leading to the Parklet concept.

This Thesis Project examines this concept, plus territoriality, sustainability, and mobility. Furthermore, it analyses Malmö Stad’s Comprehensive Plan and SUMP. Additionally, two surveys were held to comprehend malmöit’s stance, trace a comparison to the aforementioned and propose a democratic design to make a better city for people.

Inspired by Parklets, Mamlets aim to encourage citizen responsible action while recovering precious urban space in Malmö. Mamlets consist of separate versatile human-size modules - 1 m x 1.25 m - that can be stacked, exchanged and combined in multiple ways. Granting a myriad of possible outcomes as a response to the site-specific needs. Moreover, Mamlets will upcycle old construction material, be smart- packed and delivered by cargo bicycles around the city, promoting a circular economy while producing a small Co2 footprint.

Combining multiple Mamlets will create new green and urban amenities while aiding Malmö’s mobility network. This approach will not only repurpose urban space for citizens, democratically and inclusively, but have a sustainable impact aligned with Malmö Stad's, LFM30, and the SDGs plans for 2030.

Historically, the area was known for its working-class roots, with crowded narrow streets and traditional Swedish homes; but in recent decades the area has seen waves of gentrification and redevelopment, resulting in a mix of a new and old built environment that has made it one of the most diverse and dynamic places in the city of Malmö.

One of the focal points of Möllevången is Möllevångstorget, a public square known for its various activities and temporalities. In the same day, it shifts from being the city's most successful outdoor market to having its trendiest restaurants and even being the site of important protests and demonstrations. Möllevångstorget is an accurate and significant representation of the city of Malmö and the parallels that have and still define it throughout time, showing that its urban squares tell stories of human and non-human actors that rely on time and contribute to influencing it, thus creating simultaneous rhythms and temporalities that deserve us to take a moment to delve into.

As our cities continue to grow, this temporality becomes more significant and important to consider in our public spaces, especially that our urban areas are dynamic entities that need to adapt to their users’ evolving needs. The significance of temporality in urban design and its potential to produce sustainable and adaptable urban environments are both examined in this master’s thesis. The goal of the thesis, which focuses on the public square of Möllevangstorget, is to identify tactics, design principles and strategies that can be applied to develop more flexible and sustainable public spaces. By incorporating temporality as a key design guideline and tenet, we can create interventions that are responsive to the needs of the community and that can evolve over time.

Can urban design play a role to counteract this trend? Can cities be designed in a way that prevents people from developing mental health problems? And can cities help people heal when they are already affected by it?

‘The Right Stad of Mind’ is a thesis project that explores the possibilities of urban design and its effect on mental health. A masterplan is made to turn the neighborhood ‘Eilandje’ in Antwerp, Belgium, into a restorative environment where future citizens are less likely to develop mental health problems. To establish this masterplan, a framework has been used for a new kind of urbanism; Restorative Urbanism.

The framework for restorative urbanism consists of seven aspects: A restorative city should be..

.. blue

.. green

.. neighborly

.. active

.. playable

.. sensory

.. inclusive

In the current situation, the neighborhood Eilandje can use improvements on most of these aspects. In the new plan, the water plays an important role and is more intertwined with the urban structure. Additionally, green structures are created, a diverse neighborhood with a mix of functions is established and a network of public spaces is made where people can bump in to each other, be active or be playful, no matter how old you are. Lastly it is important that this part of the city engages all senses and is created as a part of the city where everyone feels welcome.

Gmünd (AT) and České Velenice (CZ) are today the only neighboring cities, that remain on the border between Czechia and Austria, raising their potential in terms of future cross-border initiatives. Although some transnational projects have already been started in the past, they never met a fertile ground among the population to continue the idea.

A new development within both cities across the border, which promotes an interactive everyday environment, will help to raise the quality and attractiveness of the cities themself, but also showcase the diversity that comes with opening up to a neighbor that had been neglected. Therefore, the idea is to strengthen the cities resilience by working across the border, using a currently parting line as a key asset for an upcoming and thriving environment of the future. Taking existing ideas and structures of communal value and weaving them immediately within the city fabric, should give an example of how a sustainable and flourishing life could also be in the current borderland peripheries. A special focus in the project is directed to the social sustainability of the site – creating spaces to encounter and collaborate to eventually overcome the hostile ground of the border and pave the way to a life where aversion is replaced by plurality.

A new sustainable and resilient city,

from life on borders to life across borders. From dead end - to new beginning.

My thesis aims to design an entry for the debate about what urban areas in a fossil free future might be like. I’m investigating how an urban environment that requires as little transportation as possible, with as little added energy as possible, can be created in an existing area through a set of strategies and design principles. The project is framed in a scenario where fossil fuels don’t exist and the design applied on the Väster neighbourhood in Lund, Sweden.

In my defossilised Lund, people have got their time back. Work is next door, children can walk by themselves to the neighbourhood school and food is grown and processed within reach. The neighbourhood streets are taken back from the car and turned into a versatile public space. There’s no longer a need for tedious, stressful commutes and everything you need for your everyday life is withing walking and biking range. Consumer goods, bikes and household items are to a great extent manufactured locally or in the region from recycled materials and can be repaired within a stone’s throw from home. Everything is within human range and reachable by human power.

To achieve these positive effects on our health, adults need at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity daily; for children, it is 60 minutes daily. 

Recent research has shown that Swedes sit still too much, which increases the risk of ill health; a survey study by Folkhäsomyndigheten shows that large proportions of Sweden sit still most of the day. Every fourth Swede sits still at least ten hours daily (Idrottstatistik 2022). 

Planning for pedestrians and bikes helps create a more active community in the city. For people to use the bike as the primary means of transportation in everyday life, cities need to offer attractive and safe bike lanes and lanes that include different kinds of users, such as people on their way to work as well as children on their way to school (Smart City Sweden 2022). To help people be more physically active, communities and counties need to take action to provide everyone with more opportunities to be more active in everyday life. Urban design is one aspect of making cities healthy and more active. 

This thesis explores how physical activity can be encouraged in the built environment, in this case, Gyllins Trädgård in Malmö, Sweden. What can be done at this site to encourage the nature parks visitors to become more physically active?

Idrotsstatistik. 2022. Stillasittande 

https://idrottsstatistik.se/motion-och-fysisk-aktivitet/stillasittande/ 

Smart City Sweden. 2022. Healthy cities & physical activity

https://smartcitysweden.com/focus-areas/social-sustainability/healthy-cities-physical-activity/

 The project proposes a temporary use of the underutilized space to activate it and contribute to the area’s long-term development. Through five phases of design, which are Connection, Landscape, Zoning, Building, and Future, the project aims to create a vibrant and sustainable community hub in Tolka Quay. 

This project aims to address urban issues by introducing sustainable design solutions to create comfortable, and cohesive spaces, while also reducing the environmental impact.

Most of these housing estates were built in the mid-20th century and are now outdated. Its residents suffer from poor living conditions, lack of connectivity, and limited access to community services. In addition, with the time flow, such housing areas face cultural and urban changes, becoming socially vulnerable and unbalanced. Also, examples of large-scale typological housing estates are present in most countries. Thus, facing global environmental issues, this existing large number of buildings does not meet current climate mitigation demands.

To resolve these challenges, extensive regeneration is the answer. With a strategy, including densification and introduction of diversified programs, the upgraded area shall contribute to the local wellbeing. As well as, the prolonged life cycle of existing buildings contributes to reduction of operational and embodied emissions and environmental sustainability of existing buildings. Besides, the aim is to improve green spaces and outdoor recreational areas, update access to public transportation, promote social interaction and community engagement. Ultimately, this project aims to create a new model for sustainable housing that can be replicated in neighbourhoods around the world.

Not only did it count as the centre of the capital, but because of Lisbon being the metropolis of the Portuguese empire, Mouraria is now home to a diverse group of people, whose culture influences its special characteristics to this day. Its medieval structure was designed to be walkable and in human-scale and in a manner to make the best use out of its geographical location and local materials.

However, influenced by the social, economic and environmental changes, the area is undergoing transformations that are not necessarily aligned with the current, global mission to aim for sustainable development. It is inhabited by the aging population and faces intensification of tourists inflows, which consequently has led to desertification and urban sprawl. Furthermore, its urban structure has been frequently densified showcasing strict separation from the natural environment, which nowadays results in an intensified vulnerability to extreme weather events such as heat waves, flash floods and droughts.

It is now more relevant than ever to focus on historic urban areas like Mouraria and think of innovative ways to rehabilitate them, enhancing their intrinsic values and adapting them towards future urban challenges. This implies that the existing social and urban structures have to be transformed step by step, whereby sustainable mobility, multicultural and green neighbourhoods, as well as symbiotic tourist management are key aspects.

Therefore the overarching question that is addressed in the design proposal is how to carry out transformational adaptation compliant with the cultural heritage of a local community in a neighbourhood with a historic urban structure - for it to become thriving, resilient, as well as socially and environmentally sustainable.

The transport sector is one of the biggest emitters of CO2, in Europe particularly the emissions caused by the transport sector grew 25% the last 30 years. Passenger cars and motor vehicles stand for a majority of these emissions, 62% respectively. In addition to the negative impact cars have on our environment, health, and safety they also take up a lot of space. Parking lots and multiple car lanes are occupying the urban realm, and thus suppress its potential of contributing to a livable and attractive city environment. Reimagining spaces given to cars is therefore a good way to start the work towards more sustainable and livable cities.

The aim of this thesis is to show how Ystadvägen, a car dominated road in Malmö with a lot of spaces dedicated to cars, can be transformed into an environment that prioritizes people. Enhancing those areas with mixed functions, such as housing, schools, cultural hubs, and active ground floors is the key design philosophy of this thesis. The mobility of Ystadvägen will prioritize modes such as walking, biking and public transportation - transforming a grey and unattractive road into a living and inviting street.

Ystadvägen will no longer be a place that you just drive through, but a place where you want to stay.

Cloudbursts and rising sea levels are two examples of such effects, which result in complex dilemmas and interesting challenges that urban designers face within their field of work. These two effects are noticeable already today and will continue to be even more in the future, why there is a need to remedy them somehow. One causing dilemma behind this is that humanity, for long, has developed urban cities detached from nature. The aspect of biodiversity, room for greenery and water resources have often been overruled, to instead make room for people’s needs where convenience in all aspects is put first, with the boundless need for resources it entails. As a consequence of this, many of today’s cities are not adapted to handle the extreme weather situations that the climate crisis brings, and heavy downpours and rising sea levels put cities at risk of flooding. One can say that this is due to, for example, the enhanced amount of hardened surfaces and the limitation of climate adaptation solutions in modern cities. Another dilemma is how to continue building dense, urban cities in coastal areas that are both climate adapted to flooding, and with a high degree of sustainability that secures life quality for future generations. How can designers help solve these critical questions? One site that is threatened by these problems is "Sjöstaden" (Sea City) in Trelleborg, Skåne County in Sweden. The aim of this thesis project is to design a new city district within "Sjöstaden", Trelleborg. In the design proposal, new buildings and blue- and green solutions are climate-adapted to withstand flooding caused by cloudbursts and the rising sea level.

The land surrounding the water is not protected by dikes, making it more prone to flooding. In a dense city where land is scarce, these unprotected areas became dense living areas. Currently, about 50.000 people reside in these unprotected areas.

With climate change and the rise of the sea level, the safety of people living in these unprotected areas is under threat. The question that I investigated within the project was how we could live safely in these areas in the long term.

Currently, the river is dredged to keep it at a depth of 18 meters at its deepest point. By stopping this dredging, the natural process of sedimentation will take over. This will lead to a shallower river. Some effects of this are the flooding risk being decreased and the river getting a more ecological character. In addition to the undeepening of the river, there will be water safety measures on a building scale. The buildings will either float, be placed on poles, be placed on a raised plateau, or have an interior solution.

In addition to water safety measures, buildings on the site will also be fitted with green roofs, water storage, and smart electricity options such as a power nest. The addition of green in the site will benefit both biodiversity and microclimate. The location with strong public transport will be enhanced with new connections, creating a strong location that allows for high density and a mix of functions.

Post-disaster recovery is a multi-dimensional process that requires a deep understanding of the relations between different terms, theories, practices, and disciplines.

Considering the post-disaster recovery as a long process including several phases itself rather than just providing a physical construction, the thesis focuses on improving temporary living by seeing it as a whole process, analyzing the short and long-term impacts of the disaster, and developing strategies to tackle them. It mostly focuses on looking at this phases beyond the terms of shelter and housing to wider its values and applications by including the value of tradition or a sense of comfort while questioning ‘‘temporary’’ as a term.

This thesis mainly emphasizes the vital need for temporary housing and the importance of the site selection strategies for temporary housing regarding the post-disaster recovery process in the context of Türkiye after earthquakes.
While rethinking this process and illustrating the relation between disaster recovery and urban design, the design proposal focuses on integration strategies of the post-disaster living scenarios into the urban design at the earlier stages to test the practicality. It emphasizes the potential of strategic site selection and development on a district scale. This process will align with the post-disaster scenarios as well as develop the daily urban life of the specifically chosen site.
This thesis project focuses on carrying out a design interventions at different scales and a specific design proposal that improving collective living culture through sustainable urban design strategies. Also, it facilitates psychosocial recovery while encouraging survivors to have an active urban life again by creating social places for survivors in the temporary housing area and in the surroundings

By refining special skills and working alongside other members of the ecosystem, countless species have found a stable role in the landscape. As humans, we are no different. Developing human society in the cradle of our own environments, humans have found the ultimate way to not only survive, but thrive in our landscapes- by building cities. We eventually found that the strength in numbers and collective skills of our communities allowed us to no longer be dominated by the landscape, but rulers over it.

However, as our vast cities and domesticated landscapes have long-altered the self-regulating properties of local ecosystems, humans must once again adapt to an inhospitable environment as urban climate hazards like flooding and urban heat island threaten an every growing number of urban inhabitants.

This project seeks to address these climate hazards by exploring one nuance of urban ecology- that we too are acting members in the ecosystem, not a division from it. By exploring basic principles of ecology as a guiding factor in the design process, we seek to employ the self-regulating and self-sustaining properties of the natural world into the built environment, thus reintroducing ecosystem services in a way that uplifts both human and nonhuman urban populations.

We will explore the concept of ecosystem service employment in human settlements by studying Jakarta, Indonesia- the world´s second largest urban agglomeration, a complex landscape that faces many climate hazards that threaten life and livelihood. As the city buckles under the pressure of land subsidence and other ecological challenges, we will explore the possibilities for regulative landscape as a tool for climate action. Is nature enough, then, to heal the nature that now threatens many human settlements? By reestablishing our role in the ecosystem, can we find a way to in turn heal nature, with nature?

As a part of this thesis, the aim is to investigate the following research questions:

1. Can brownfield neighbourhoods produce food?
2. How can food production transform an industrial area to a sustainable and liveable neighbourhood?

The urban design proposal, ‘Cultivating Communities’ , is a result of in-depth analysis which formulates strategies for the transformation of a brownfield area into a liveable neighbourhood. Nyhamnen in Malmö is the chosen design location to land the research and strategic interventions. My design proposal views the development of the site through the lens of food production and circularity and uses it to form a design proposal. The design proposal works with the proposed bus line and creates meaningful connections within and towards the neighbourhood. These connections further enhance the integration of the courtyard life to the public spaces while making the most of the coastline. Each courtyard is equipped with roof top farming, community living, solar panels and greenhouses that support the production of food.

Furthermore, the vison of a food district is brought to life by introducing variation in building typologies that support the function of housing, research facilities, food markets, commerce and office areas. This enhances the biodiversity and connections within the city.

RE+ aims to regenerate this place, bringing back through the permaculture concepts the diversity of urban farming, combining different housing types to build a community around a new way of farming.

WHY

The agriculture market and construction sector are not sustainable, and they need drastic changes to become more resilient and have less impact on the environment. The permaculture design concepts, combined with regenerative agriculture and regenerative urban design, can provide a solution to these challenges.

HOW

The RE+ project will use nature as the main actor to bring back life and offer people a sustainable lifestyle. The project is developed considering permaculture design principles to create a community that lives integrated with urban farming, taking advantage of natural resources available on site.

The strategy focuses on three main goals:

REGENERATE: The project will reuse some of the existing buildings on the site and revitalise hard surfaces. The aim is to bring back life to the industrial site of Gastelyckan, keeping some of the existing streets networks to maximize their potential and revitalizing the place occupied by industries to bring it back to nature.

REFARM: RE+ create a water network based on the natural topography, adding to this pathway pedestrian and bike lanes to connect important farming spaces to livable urbanized areas and the public realm. Agroforestry technology will be used to bring more productivity and sustainability to the farming areas.

Cities are growing every day, but we can't forget about the established areas within them. This project explores how we can improve safety and quality of life for kids in these areas by using and adding to the existing infrastructure, using north Grafarvogur í Reykjavík, Iceland, as a case study.

Despite having the highest concentration of children aged 0-12 years among all the neighborhoods in Reykjavík, families have been leaving northern Grafarvogur in recent times. The area is primarily composed of single-family homes and low-rise apartment buildings, with litle focus on public spaces. Like many other neighborhoods in Reykjavík, cars dominate the area, resulting in safety concerns for parents and a higher tendency to drive children from one place to another. This car dominance also takes away valuable land that could be used for public spaces, play, and safe modes of transportation for children.

So what can be done to make families want to stay in Grafarvogur? This project creates and uses three toolboxes - Walkable City, Safe City, and Playful City - to implement changes that will make the neighborhood beter for kids. With children as the top priority, the role of cars is relegated to the background. These toolboxes not only provide a framework for improving existing neighborhoods but also serve as a guide for the creation of new child-friendly areas.

By being the most secure and safe city in Mexico today, there has been a substantial increase in migration to the peninsula. This gave the government and society the advantage of innovation and growth, welcoming new investments, both national and international. Mérida is now one of the leading cities in sustainable future design in the country, with big projects like the Mayan train, the IE tram, which is the first 100% electric transport route in the southeast of the country, and numerous commercial developments.

The increase in migration, both from outside and within the city, comes with a plethora of housing developments. These promise the best quality of life, regardless of localization, users, vicinity and more important the disorganized urban sprawl it is creating. By putting the residential needs first, (prioritizing economic benefits), at some point in time the importance and use of public spaces became a secondary privilege, and the grid of the city became very individualized, creating the “apartment effect” in neighborhoods, with car prioritized streets and no public interaction.
On a bigger scale, this opened the door for more problems; uncontrolled urban spread, decreased quality of life, major heatwaves, marginalization and neglected areas.

This master's degree project aims to relink the old neighborhoods of Mérida, which now face marginalization and abandonment. With the adaptation of new ways of transport, mixed used housing and commerce, combined with recreational and public spaces it jumpstarts a new sustainable way of living in a much less car centralized neighborhood, prioritizing always the needs of the user.  Completing the circle of prosperity and quality of life that it promises to have, it shows that big investments can be made in any part of the city, specially where it needs the most.

This creates a strong car dependency and limits the opportunities for residents to explore the surrounding landscape. Furthermore, Grönby, like many rural areas in Sweden, is strongly affected by the urban-rural gap that has emerged over time, resulting in a lack of diverse housing options, especially smaller and cheaper homes that complement the single-family norm. But, how can smaller and cheaper, yet qualitative, housing emerge where the will to build from the market does not exist spontaneously? And, what can a new housing addition give back to existing rural communities?

To address these issues, the project explores a strategy that combines housing and pathways. The pathways link publicly accessible land in a network of permanent, multifunctional greenways and temporary paths, creating a more accessible lifestyle and environment for residents. The dwellings are realised as building communities and serve as destination points along the pathways, breaking down distances and complementing existing housing stock.

In Grönby, the strategy results in a permanent main path that enables a bicycle connection to bus stops and services in the neighbouring town of Anderslöv, as well as a network of more temporary paths further out into the landscape. At a detailed level, a potential housing addition is explored, where self-building and a possible adaptation and expansion over time plays a major role in the design.

The thesis project "Decolonising Architecture in Africa" investigates this disconnection of African architecture from its pre-colonial past in the case of Kenya. To achieve this, the project includes ethnographic research into Kenyan vernacular architecture, both the built and social aspects of architecture. Then the project analyses these studies through careful unlearning and relearning to incorporate positive aspects from pre-colonial architectural practices into a contemporary Kenyan context.

As a proof-of-concept, it proposes a co-working space in Nairobi, Kenya, which incorporates vernacular architecture's positive elements into its design through relearning the working culture that focuses primarily on collaboration in order to find solutions for the rising demand for flexible working spaces for emerging start-ups in a rapidly developing area of Nairobi. The initiative also compares itself to current building and construction trends, both in terms of materials and office space.

Moreover, this project attempts to de-exoticize African traditional architecture by conceptualizing architectural decolonization as a response that places buildings and cities at the centre of their contexts and realities, normalizing building traditional forms and ways of working. Throughout the design process, the project explores hybrid design techniques that incorporate global trends and technological advances to improve pre-colonial architecture's spatial and material capabilities.

Overall, the project investigates and demonstrates how architectural decolonization can positively influence African architecture and contribute to the development of sustainable, context-specific design goals. By highlighting the significance of pre-colonial architecture, the exploration hopes to inspire a new perspective on African architecture that integrates the past into the present and apply it to impact the future.

Especially in rural dwellings, lowtech but very effective and simple ways of adaptability have been and are still in use. These methods stand more than ever diametral to the way we dwell and use our domestic spaces today. All the building elements are getting more complex and need to fulfil several different functions together, without any conscious (human) action. The climate is automatically regulated by a number of air conditioning systems, automatic heating and highly efficient windows that provide a view separated from other external climate aspects and weather phenomenas. With the complexity come also more costs, both monetary and environmentally. In the course of the war in Ukraine and the energy crisis in Europe, a vivid discussion about heating and temperature in buildings has taken place.

This thesis project aims to investigate how domestic space can be built and used in correlation to the environment. A type of dwelling in harmony with the environment and not against it, living with the seasons and weather rather than in an isolated box, hermetic separated from the context. The domestic spaces are implemented as different climate zones which directly relate to weather, activities, comfort and allow a modification by the inhabitant.

The project is planned in Norra Sorgenfri in Malmö, one of the latest development areas creating new living quarters on a former industrial site.

An open flat brownfield towards the sea on Refshaleøen Island was chosen as the most suitable location for the Museum. Refshaleøen is a harbor and industrial area with a plethora of natural and urban assets. The area has gained popularity in recent years as a cluster for creativity and leisure.

The idea was to create long corridors with far-reaching sightlines, exhibition halls with roof openings, and spaces with colorful surfaces that allow the gradations of daylight to enter the structure. The purpose of this study was to encourage interaction and exploration by designing spaces that could offer multiple sensory experiences.

Innovation and fluidity are the keywords of the concept. Two different cells - a sharper exterior, and a soft interior cell- merge together to create the building. The outer layer is designed with an industrial feel in mind - a look that is reminiscent of the past and that is well-fitting to the area. This cell can be considered a "White Canvas" that sparks the public's curiosity to explore further. Following a different logic, the inner cell has curved surfaces, textured elements, and accent colors that enhance the overall experience.

The design is to inspire movement - a gesture that mimics the momentum of change/ future of design. In addition, the inner spaces are kept fluid, and flexible - meaning they are able to transform over time always according to the museum’s needs. The plan also incorporates spaces for resting and reflecting, allowing the audience to pause and absorb the ambiance.

In terms of the building program, the Museum is developed horizontally in two levels with a total area of ~ 9,000 m2.

As Katarina Bonnevier describes, architecture has performativity built into it – it is produced culturally, bodies and social situations are engaged with building elements, settings and scenes. This in turn means that heteronormativity is encoded into the built environment around us, as by repeating the same principles of how we build over and over, they are naturalized.

This thesis researches how incorporating drag into architectural design, one could start to queer the fragments of urban space to question and break out of binary and normative ways of space making.

For whom are our cities built for? The project looks at drag queens to search for a spatial expression of drag. The result explores the topic of inclusion and diversity around multiple elements of urban space. A space that we all share but are not all included in. In honour of this year’s Baltic Pride, taking place in Tallinn, Estonia, where the LGBTQIA+ communities of three countries come together to take space, celebrate diversity and fight for equality, this thesis will use Tallinn’s urban spaces as testing grounds for the project.

The aim of this thesis is to contribute to the discourse of queer architecture and to explore through design how drag can contribute to a more inclusive and diverse future of architecture.

The traditional image of the family including parents and children is transforming into a new meaning of the family following new social tendencies and trends. Considering the rapidly transforming social needs and the emergence of new ways of living, reviewing the different factors impacting people´s lives and designing an adaptable house compatible with current requirements is a priority in residential design.

The crucial factors in housing design are social issues. Three social transformations are outlined in this report. The live-work residence is one of the necessities that should be considered in new housing, especially after the pandemic the importance of telecommuting is more obvious. Moreover, the number of single, single-headed families and childless couples has increased which can affect the temporality of families. As temporality is inextricably intertwined with the new lifestyle, finding an efficient way to design a flexible space compatible with social needs is necessary.Another trend is co-living. The main reason that most people find shared living attractive is because it creates new ways of socializing with others.

Main questions

1. The main question for the first goal would be: how can we design a dwelling-office space which can respect the private borders in addition to improving work productivity?
2. How can we design a flexible space to adapt to new changes in the form of families?
3. Based on the attractiveness of co-living for residents, how to improve people´s social life without disturbing their private life? 

White Architects won, but public attention and media coverage resulted in delays before there was a referendum in the municipality in 2022. Around 63,000 people voted and it ended with a “no” after a lot of time and resources were put into the project. The site is one of Halmstad’s most central lots, but has been in a limbo between different projects for several years and is currently stuck at that stage.

The project is based on interviews, newspaper articles, reports, literature studies and field studies and with this tries to understand the discussions, problems and public opinions that can arise in connection with these situations. Why do these kinds of problems appear and how could one design a place at Österskans that gets accepted and is well received? The discussion is more complex than just producing populist architecture to please the opposition - it is also about several other factors beyond that. Based on the collected information, a new proposal is designed with a reworked program for what could be developed at Österskans.

The latest computational technologies allow architects to create new artistic expressions using 3D printers, assembly robots, laser cutters, milling machines, and CNC routers (computer numerical control). 

With their exceptional precision, we are able to design perfect assemblies--without screws or visible metalwork--resulting in structures that will last a lifetime, are simple to assemble, and will be aesthetically pleasing as well. 

Traditionally, Japanese architecture has been noted for the high level of craftsmanship, precision, and simplicity employed to build wooden structures so that they can be constructed without the use of nails, screws, adhesives or modern power tools.

The purpose of this study is to explore the potential of wood by combining Japanese wood craftsmanship with latest digital technologies. In this study, traditional joinery is redefined from three perspectives, geometry, material and fabrication, which leads to three main results expected: customization, penalization of construction, and enhancement of joints by leveraging the revolution of 3D modeling software, material innovation, and digital fabrication.

A presentation of the design forms and ideas for an actual architectural project will conclude the thesis.

In this study, I aim to contribute to the development of wood as a modern, high-tech material capable of making a sustainable society through a contemporary interpretation of its potential in order to establish a successful and sustainable future.

Det är just detta som Juhani Pallasmaa går till angrepp mot i ”The Eyes of the Skin”, där han lägger fram starka argument för att inte bara vår arkitektgärning, utan hela vår kultur, är fixerad vid framställandet och konsumtionen av bilder.

Vilken betydelse har då akustiken för vår rumsuppfattning och vilken betydelse borde den ha? Kan den auditiva dimensionen vara en lika självklar del i den gestaltande arkitektens process som den visuella, och i så fall hur? Dessa frågor har blivit centrala i min undersökning, som tar avstamp i Sarah Williams Goldhagens redogörelse för den mänskliga kognitionen och i Georg Böhmes atmosfärteori. Utöver att försöka förklara akustik på ett överskådligt sätt går jag till botten med hur man kan ge definiera estetik, vad atmosfärer egentligen är och hur de hänger ihop med arkitektur och ljudmiljöer. Min undersökning landar i några skissartade förslag på hur akustiska atmosfärer kan gestaltas inom ett givet program och en given kontext.

Ljud är, för de flesta, någonting självklart. Så självklart att det påverkar oss otroligt mycket, inte bara medvetet. Genom att förstå hur ljud fungerar kan vi som arkitekter ta ännu ett steg mot en arkitektur som får rummen att vibrera - av både klang och känslor.

• Handledare: Jesper Magnusson
• Examinator: Sandra Kopljar
• Presentationen sker på svenska.

På så vis blir bostäderna attraktivare på marknaden samtidigt som renoveringskostnaderna hålls låga för fastighetsägaren. Efter att lägenheterna blivit flippade säljs husen vanligen vidare och hyrorna höjs rejält.

Projektet Flip Parkhaus är en kritik mot ovanstående tillvägagångssätt. Här undersöks möjligheten att frångå den rådande bostadsmarknaden genom att överta, transformera och bosätta sig i ett parkeringshus. Berlinare är vana vid att ta saker i sina egna händer. Större samhälleliga förändringar sker ofta underifrån och likaså är transformationen i detta projekt ett experimentellt och alternativt sätt att skapa fler bostäder, utan att tumma på kvalitén. Flip Parkhaus problematiserar bostadsmarknadens nuvarande utseende och ger ett exempel på en annan boendeform.

• Handledare: Maria Rasmussen
• Examinator: Fredrik Torisson
• Presentationsspråk: Svenska

Atlantvallen som helhet är byggd av 17 miljoner kubikmeter betong och 1.2 miljoner ton stål. Två år efter vallens uppkomst tog kriget slut och kvar stod denna vall av bunkrar som skapade en barriär mellan lokalbefolkningen och kusten. I detta examensarbete undersöks Atlantvallen längs den danska kusten som potentiellt underlag för ett transformationsprojekt. Enbart i Danmark byggdes det över 2000 bunkrar.

Kulturarvsstyrelsen har idag värderat flera av dem som värda att bevara och som en del av kulturlandskapet. Detta har fått de danska kommunerna att se potential i dessa gamla strukturer och som en framtida tillgång. Idag används flera av dem som museum med inriktning på krigsturism, men jag skulle vilja undersöka om de kan användas på ett annat sätt, mer anpassade till modern tid som får människor att blicka framåt istället för bakåt.

• Examinator: Ingela Pålsson Skarin
• Handledare: Thomas Hellquist
• Presentationen kommer presenteras på svenska.

Using the connected coastal trails of Blekinge as a starting point, I have been zooming in on a still bay, between Karlshamn and Ronneby. One of few places where the 27 mile long hiking trail meets with the sea, and where traffic noise is absent. The Blekinge landscape and outdoor activities, were very much intertwined with everyday life during my childhood. It was about happiness in movement, but also slowing down.

By hiking and kayaking I have been able to understand, what type of bodily and sensuous experiences I have wanted to design for. I have also attentively been looking for signs, of what other people have done or made by this bay before me. Based on my observations on the site and experience on the trail, additions have been created to accompany discovered needs and complements for these. Like barbecue spots, a shelter on land, a sauna and a floating shelter in the ocean.

The design proposal is meant to blend in with nature, since the character here lies in the landscape, which is central in the project. Just like objects and buildings I have found along the trail. The additions are simple, embodying its surroundings and present time. Mainly there to bring the visitors as close to the sea, as the land. To provide for our need for shelter, resting and dreaming.

Examinator: Lars-Henrik Ståhl

Tutor: Erik Tonning Jensen

Report in english, presentation in swedish

To answer these issues, I decided to design a community center and a bathhouse for women and children, rooted in the idea of feminist city planning and trying to include groups that might otherwise not enjoy the same level of freedom and safety in public spaces. By creating a node where people can access clean water, and where household needs such as laundry, and bathing can be done. In an otherwise fragmented neighbourhood structure, the aim is to create a permanent place for refuge and a node that can enable a mix of primary and secondary functions, that also engages in the public sphere and creates new spaces and ways of movement.

En viktig plats i Hunnebostrand under stenhuggeriepoken var Udden. Här höggs sten från Norra Högeberg och platsen användes även som utskeppningskaj. Idag är Udden en populär rekreationsplats vars framtid länge har varit en het fråga i samhället. Kring 2009 planerade kommunen att bygga bostäder, kontorslokaler och hotell på Udden, vilket möttes av massiva protester från lokalbefolkningen. Protesterna ledde till att projektet lades ned, och sedan 2011 har istället en stenskulpturutställning ägt rum på platsen varje år.

Sedan utställningens start har diskussionen om ett Stenens Hus på Udden pågått. Ett Stenens Hus skulle innebära ett besökscenter för att komplettera den befintliga skulpturutställningen och bli ett centrum för bohusgraniten.

I detta examensarbete undersöks hur ett sådant besökscenter skulle kunna gestaltas för att på bästa sätt samspela med platsen samt framhäva och tillgängliggöra berget. 

Presenterar på svenska. 

Handledare: Jesper Magnusson

Examinator: Tomas Tägil

Trots att byggnaden bedöms vara en av de bäst bevarade barnkolonibyggnaderna så saknar den skydd, varpå den vid flertalet tillfällen hotats av rivning.

Syftet med detta examensarbete är att genom att kartlägga byggnadens funktionella och materiella förutsättningar förstå vilken roll den kan ha för framtida generationer. Ambitionen är därför att genom anpassning och gestaltning skapa incitament för tillvaratagande av Sundhammars barnkoloni.

Arbetet innehåller en historisk återblick till tiden då den uppfördes, en tid då trångboddhet och barnfattigdom var utbredd, inte minst i våra större städer. Barnkolonirörelsen var ett resultat av detta, vars syfte var att möjliggöra för barn att komma nära hav, natur och hälsosam mat.

Även om det är över 50 år sedan barnkoloniverksamheten lades ned i Sundhammars så är dess initiala syfte åter aktuellt, då samhället också idag tampas med socialt utanförskap och fattigdom bland barn. Jag anser därför att byggnaden kan skapa mervärde också för framtida barn och unga.

Mitt förslag innehåller ett nytt program för byggnaden med en öppen förskola som kärna samt parallell verksamhet utöver det, också den riktad mot barn och unga. För att möjliggöra detta har jag gett byggnaden en ny gestaltning, detta med utgångspunkt i den historiska kartläggning, analys och observationer jag gjort på byggnaden.

Presentation sker på svenska. 

Ingela Pålsson Skarin (examinator)

Thomas Hellquist (handledare)

Det är ju den farligaste platsen för kvinnor att vara på? Enligt WHO är mäns våld mot kvinnor i nära relationer ett av de allvarligaste hoten mot kvinnors hälsa. Medan det såklart finns många aspekter att ha i åtanke i analysen av detta, kvarstår faktumet att det är i hemmet som de här aktiviteterna sker. Varför är det så? Har uppbyggnaden av våra hem någon faktisk roll i detta?

Det här arbetet började med att jag ville ta reda på vad arkitekter före mig hade tagit fram för förslag på eventuella brister med våra hem. Jag ville se vad de sagt om hemmets konstruktion och hur den egentligen påverkar tryggheten för kvinnorna som bor i det. Och jag ville verkligen veta vad jag, i min roll som framtida arkitekt, skulle kunna göra annorlunda. Hur vill och borde jag själv gestalta framtidens bostäder?

Mitt arbete resulterade i en studie, där jag i en första del presenterar vad det är jag hittills har hittat. Där skriver jag om kunskap som jag hämtat ur statistik, rapporter, böcker om arkitektur, rättsfall och intervjuer med människor som, på olika sätt, arbetat med våldsutsatta kvinnor. I en andra del presenterar jag sedan vad jag kommit fram till att man hade kunnat göra annorlunda. Jag kallar den delen för handbok och det är en guide som jag tycker att fler borde ta del av.

You may even argue if the impact it has had on the community is positive or not. Some may argue that the Church may have taken away from the life of its people and the life of the community.

As the power and influence of the Church has diminished in many places, there are still countries and communities which are built around the Church. There seems to be a spiritual connection between the Church and the people. There is something about the Church which is eternal, through out the ages it always has a voice or a stake in the community.

Projektet är en keramikverkstad intill den gamla lärarbostaden i Atlingbo. I närheten finns en blandning av olika byggnadstyper och det presenterar en utmaning: hur bygger man för att en byggnad ska passa in i en landsbygdskontext?

Om man ser till samtida hyllade projekt på Gotland tycks de följa en viss stil, de kopplar an till en traditionell lokal arkitektur, dess material och tektonik utan att för den delen kopiera den. Det verkar finnas en gemensam uppfattning om hur man kan bygga för att ta hänsyn till kontexten. 

I arbetet har jag undersökt potentialen hos kritisk regionalism som designfilosofi i ett examensarbete. Kenneth Frampton använde sig av kritisk regionalism som begrepp 1983 för att beskriva en arkitektur som varken anslöt sig till modernism, postmodernism eller regionalism. Kritisk regionalism syftar till att bygga i enighet med den lokala kulturella och fysiska kontexten: att ta hänsyn till de material och tekniker som används i området, samt de lokala klimatförhållandena och topografin.

Projektet har handlat om att förstå Gotland som kontext och metoden har varit designprinciper som utgår från kritisk regionalism. Det har även handlat om att undersöka keramikerns process och landsbygdens potential för hantverket.

• Handledare: Elin Daun
• Examinator: Gunnar Sandin
• Arbetet presenteras på svenska.

Under de senaste åren har jag uppmärksammat en ökning av användare i kyrkogården; några går igenom kyrkogården på väg till jobbet, andra promenerar med barnvagn eller hund, joggar, cyklar, samtidigt som andra vårdar en anhörigs grav. I arbetet undersöks möjligheterna för en utveckling av användandet av S:t Pauli kyrkogårdar, när staden växer sig allt närmre. 

Platsstudier på kyrkogårdarna har lagt grunden och utvecklat examensarbetet under projektets gång. Fokus har legat på kyrkogårdarnas karaktär, rumsbildande element, rörelser och brukare. Referensprojekt som exempelvis Assistens Kirkegård i Köpenhamn har stöttat skissprocessen och resulterat i ett gestaltningsförslag som har arbetats fram successivt. 

Gestaltningsförslaget presenterar ett stråk som löper igenom de tre kyrkogårdarna och skapar en grön länk mellan centrala och östra Malmö. Kopplat till stråket ligger tre gestaltade platser, en på varje kyrkogård och vid två av dessa platser har kyrkogården öppnats upp mot staden.

• Examinator Jesper Magnusson
• Handledare Nina Aronsen

Majoriteten av dagens träarkitektur återfinns dock på landsbygden. I städer som Lund, Malmö eller Köpenhamn hittar man kanske ett uthus eller paviljong som bryter mönstret men i regel förknippas materialet med tillfälliga och mindre strukturer. Jag anser det därför finnas ett behov av undersökande studier kring hur trä ska komma till uttryck, både i förhållande till det pånyttfödda material som KL-trästommen medför samt den urbana kontext där de numera byggs.

Genom tre gestaltande projekt på en urban gata i Lund söker jag efter ett urbant formspråk i trä med målet att hitta träs plats i staden.

Examinator: Tomas Tägil

Handledare: Jesper Magnusson

I utformningen av offentliga platser har vi möjligheten att skapa mötesplatser arter emellan, miljöer som är lyhörda även för behoven hos det myller av andra livsformer som delar staden med oss - ogräs, insekter, svampar, rotsystem, träd, och så vidare. Att börja se icke-mänskliga levande varelser som invånare som aktivt producerar och skapar staden, och som har rätt till den, kan öppna upp för nya möjligheter att formge annorlunda typer av offentliga rum. Jag kommer att använda sympoiesis som teoretisk grund för att spekulera i vilka slags objekt och platser i staden som skulle kunna forma våra möten med andra arter.  

Arbetet har mynnat ut i fyra stycken gestaltningsprinciper för sympoietiska rum. Dessa har i sin tur resulterat i skapandet av en handfull prototyper, och därefter tre arkitektoniska verk belägna i Raoul Wallenbergs park i Malmö. Verken är rumsliga tolkningar av sympoiesis, via mina gestaltningsprinciper. De är ett exempel på hur gestaltningsprinciperna skulle kunna förhålla sig till och påverka en plats med vissa givna förutsättningar.

Examinator: Gunnar Sandin

Handledare: Paulina Prieto de La Fuente

Presenterar på svenska

Reflektioner om klimatets energisystem och hur det relaterar till komfort, upplevelse och nyttokvaliteter i vad vi byggt och bygger inspirerar utformandet av ett förslag till ett bostadsområde i Lund.

Examinator: Tomas Tägil

Handledare: Laura Liuke

The favourable policies to facilitate multimillionaire investments in green energies have not had corresponding effects on the people who are needed for these enterprises to realise. The “green revolution” is bringing hundreds of people from all over the world for jobs in the new sector, changing the landscape and culture.

Migration policies, urban development, social and educational plans are not catching up to the challenge, leaving the protagonists of this revolution in insecure living and working conditions. New institutions and spaces are needed to accompany these industrial reforms.

On the other hand, the people interviewed in this project express a lot of hope and enthusiasm for the future. After years of economic stagnation and isolation, a new landscape is forming.

The project has focused on designing a bridge that is a generous and open superstructure, ready to be appropriated by its occupants in various levels of commitment. Designed to be part of the process of transformation of the city instead of an imposition. The proposal is therefore other bridge, which is neither bridge nor building. A public space that is in continuous negotiation of its own rules.

The presentation will be held in english. 

Supervisor: Per-Johan Dahl and Sandi Hilal

Examiner: Gunnar Sandin

These are then used as a broad tool set for experimenting with a physical proposal. In the second phase, a site and function is established as an area for this experimentation to take place. This constitutes a cafe/study space in an old industrial building in Kirseberg, Malmö. During this phase a comprehensive folding topology is developed and executed with the help of parametric tools.

The third phase deals with different ways of breaking down the form derived from the previous phase into smaller subdivisions. These subdivisions embody movement in different ways and are designed to generate several constructable outputs where manufacturing, construction, cost and other real world parameters are a vital part of the process. 

This project deals with continuity of geometry and material, altered perception and motion throughout different scales.

För att samla information till undersökningen har litteraturstudier, studiebesök, laborationer samt intervjuer genomförts. Intervjupersonerna är verksamma arkitekter, kolorister och designers som skapar med ett fokus på färg i rumslighet. Dessa intervjuer kretsar kring hur formgivaren tänker kring att använda färg som verktyg.

Upplevelsen av färg är kärnan i undersökandet. Vad upplevs harmoniskt, kaotiskt eller dynamiskt? Tungt eller lätt? Hur upplevs skala och rumsliga hierarkier? Hur kan arkitektoniska kvaliteter skapas med hjälp av färg?

Rapporten behandlar inte själva kulörer i sig med subjektiva konstateranden som “rosa är vackrare än blå”. Den behandlar hur färger förhåller sig till varann: hur mörk eller ljus, hur mättad eller omättad, hur matt eller blank. Hur färg förhåller sig till rumslighet undersöks med hjälp av olika scenografier i modell där färgernas egenskaper testas och analyseras. Min ingång är att det inte finns ett tydligt svar, ett rätt eller fel. Att få fram hur man bör göra eller vad som är “korrekt” är inte syftet med denna rapport. Jag vill istället visa hur man kan tillämpa olika verktyg för att undersöka vad färg kan göra för rumsligheten. Det jag vill ta reda på är hur vi på olika sätt kan ta oss an ett så komplext ämne som färg och efter bästa förmåga utnyttja dess formgivande potential i arkitekturen.

Med färg som verktyg  

Handledare: Jesper Magnusson

Examinator: Nina Falk Aronsen

Presentationsspråk: Svenska

Det finns en hierarki bland vilka värden som är viktigare i den byggda miljön. Det finns de som menar att vi har hamnat i ett samhälle som är helt baserat på det visuella och att vi förtrycker de andra sinnena. Resultatet av detta är att vi blir mer och mer alienerade vår omgivning. Vi behöver uppleva med kroppen och med det taktila för att förstå vår omvärld. Jag har tagit hjälp av fenomenologin för att få en större förståelse för hur dessa värden är kopplade till arkitekturen. Det i sin tur har lett mig in på skissen som undersökande verktyg. Jag har använt den för att lära känna platsen bättre med förhoppningen att komma närmare de poetiska värdena. Jag har även jobbat med ett narrativ kring hur jag upplever platsen. Både för att själv få en bättre förståelse men även för att enklare kommunicera denna till andra.

Platsen där jag valt att göra detta tillägg är Tjurkö. En ö med spännande historia. Under mitten av artonhundratalet och cirka hundra år framåt vad detta centrum för stenbrytningen som skedde i stor skala i Blekinge. Men till Tjurkö kommer man inte enbart för det gamla stenhuggeriet. Ön är ett stopp för skärgårdsfärjorna vilken många dagsturister använder för att uppleva natur, avkoppling och upplevelse.

Handledare: Nina Aronsen

Examinator: Tomas Tägil

(Presenterar på svenska)

 Byn, som ursprungligen var tillhåll för fiske, bebos idag av både sommargäster och permanentboenden. Mitt i byn ligger en obebyggd tomt, Skrehällan, med utmanande terräng. Med en höjdskillnad på åtta meter, vildvuxen växtlighet och vidsträckt utsikt har tomten en speciell karaktär som gjorde ett stort intryck på mig. Mitt arbete handlar om hur jag värnar om det intrycket när jag gestaltar på platsen.

Med tomten i Skäret som utgångspunkt undersöker jag möjligheterna att på ett så skonsamt sätt som möjligt, gestalta en bostad i en terräng med svåra förutsättningar. I arbetet diskuteras diverse angreppssätt och hur de kan bidra till att minimera åverkan på platsen. Syftet är att belysa hur olika metoder kan vara till hjälp vid gestaltning på utmanande platser.

Hur kan arkitektur profitera på en plats utan att förstöra dess ursprungliga karaktär? Mina tankar presenteras i form av ett gestaltningsförslag, ett fritidshus på tomten i Skäret.

Arbetet presenteras på Svenska.

Examinator: Jesper Magnusson

Handledare: Tomas Tägil

Trenden har varit att flytta till platser med stort utbud av villor, närhet till natur, goda förbindelser till arbete men med rimliga kvadratmeterpriser.

En av de kommuner vars flyttnetto ökat mest de senaste åren är Österåker. En skärgårdskommun på pendlingsavstånd till Stockholm. Bebyggelsen som idag framförallt består av småhus är  relativt utspridd, vilket gör stora delar beroende av bil. För att minska bilberoendet förtätas bebyggelsen framförallt i stationsnära lägen. Kommunen behöver förtätas samtidigt som dragningskraften är just stora ytor och närhet till natur.

I detta examensarbete vill jag därför undersöka hur en tätare bebyggelse kan integreras i en mindre ort som växer snabbt. Samt hur man kan tillvarata kvaliteter av att leva utanför staden, såsom närhet till natur och större öppna ytor i bostadens utformning.

Projektet kommer att resultera i ett bostadsprojekt i tätorten Åkersberga, i Österåkers kommun utanför Stockholm. Tomten för projektet ligger i en brant sluttning som vetter mot en kanal som slingrar sig genom ortens centrala delar.  Bostäderna är planerade efter en analys av dagens boendepreferenser, samt anpassade efter den specifika tomten, dess topografi och kontakt med kanalen.

Handledare: Monika Jonson

Examinator: Catharina Sternudd

Språk presentation: Svenska

Detta examensarbete söker efter ett alternativt sätt att bo där de boende tar kontroll över sin boendesituation. Resultatet är en alternativ bostadsmarknad med co-livingbostäder ovanpå platta tak i Stockholms innerstad. Genom en symbioslik relation mellan de nya bostäderna på taket, fastigheten vars tak de står på och staden kommer alla tre gynnas av projektet.

Som verktyg för den nya bostadsmarknaden skapar jag grunden till en katalog. Där samlas information, bildmaterial och illustrationer som hjälper fler att bygga co-livingbostäder i det nya boendesystemet. När ett tak har fått bostäder uppdateras katalogen med ritningar och illustrationer.

Examensarbetet undersöker även den delade boendeformen och försöker tänja på gränserna för hur ett delat boende kan se ut. Arbetet avslutas med en gestaltning av bostäder ovanpå parkeringshuset vid DN-skrapan på Kungsholmen.

Examinator: Lars-Henrik Ståhl
Handledare: Paulina Prieto De La Fuente

Presentationen kommer hållas på svenska.

Projektet består av skrivet material och formgivning av en byggnad där fokus ligger på de rumsliga upplevelserna såsom dagsljus, möjlighet till att vistas utomhus, utblickar, rymlighet, färg, form och material. Särskilt fokus ligger på förlossningsrummet där allt från sitt- och sängplatser till utformning av innertaket har betydelse för både den födande och anhöriga.

Projektet syftar till att undersöka den rumsliga vårdmiljöns betydelse för både den födande kvinnan, sjukvårdspersonal och anhörig/stödperson, och på vilket sätt rumsliga kvaliteter kan bidra till trygghet och välbefinnande inom vårdmiljön på förlossningskliniker och BB. Vilka faktorer som spelar roll för patienten skiljer sig mycket från personalens. På vilket sätt arkitekturen kan underlätta för personalen att utföra sitt arbete, trivas och känna sig säkrare på sin arbetsplats kommer också vara en nyckelfråga i detta projekt.

Mitt projekt kommer inte lösa krisen inom förlossningsvården i Sverige men kan förhoppningsvis bidra till en ökad förståelse kring vikten av en god miljö inom den för både patient och personal. Förslaget eller studierna bakom projektet kan bli en del i den aktuella debatten om besparingar på en vård som ofta tycks drabbas hårt - nämligen kvinnosjukvården.

Examinator: Tomas Tägil

Handledare: Sandra Kopljar

Arbetet presenteras på svenska.

Syftet med projektet är att diskutera synen på objektivitet respektive subjektivitet; genom subjektiva betraktelser och medveten förflyttning är mitt projekt en undersökning utav parallella världar.

Arbetet har utgått ifrån en undersökande intuitiv process i form utav illustrationer och korta texter. De har sedan analyserats, kategoriserats och befästs teoretiskt. Det första beslutet jag tog i arbetet var att allt skulle samlas i en bok för att ha något att utgå ifrån. Böcker har alltid varit en stor del i mitt liv och jag bär nästan alltid med mig en bok och boken blev en tydlig ram för att kunna sortera mina tankar, idéer, bilder och frågor kring arkitektur.

• Examinator    Sandra Kopljar
• Handledare    Martin Svansjö

For me a home means safety, a space that you can call your own and be yourself without compromise. It represents a place of learning and of growth. The safety and the feeling that comes with knowing you have a home, your home, is a feeling that everyone should be able to know and experience. Many experience this feeling in their childhood. However, there comes a time in every person's life when an individual must leave their childhood home and establish a home of their own.

In today’s world that is getting increasingly harder to do. Especially if you live in Iceland, as it consistently ranks among the topmost expensive countries to live in. Affordable living arrangements are hard to come by as prices for land, real estate, and rented apartments have skyrocketed in the past few years and only seem to continue to rise. While affordability is primarily a problem on the larger scale of planning, regulations, and politics, architecture still has the potential to make an impact.

This thesis project aims to investigate the potential of growing homes in steps in concurrence with the households’ needs and finances. This idea is approached through extensions in the form of interchangeable and standardized units of ceilings, walls and floors fitted into a rectangular framework. Furthermore, the thesis pairs this initially lower footprint building with how prices for plots of lands are calculated.

Presenting in English. 

AAHM10 Master in Architecture 

Supervisor: Jouri Kanters

Examiner: Paulina Prieto de La Fuente

Representasjoner legger ofte stor vekt på rommets geometriske og visuelle egenskaper, mens det kroppslige, materielle og abjekte skyves til side. De viser som regel én Framtid. Men hvem sin Framtid er dette? Og når hender den? Haraway mener at fordi vi tenker igjennom verktøyene våre, har hvilke verktøy vi velger, betydning for hvilke tanker vi kan tenke. Om vi skal snakke om rommet som relasjonelt, dynamisk og i stadig endring, heller enn objektivt, statisk, stabilt og med kun én mulig Framtid, behøver vi kanskje andre verktøy enn de vi tradisjonelt bruker?

For å utforske dette har jeg gjort praktiske undersøkelser med broderiet som verktøy. Utgangspunktet har vært gåturer gjennom Västra Hamen i Malmö, der jeg har pratet med folk jeg har møtt, og spurt dem hvordan de opplever området, og hvilke framtider de kan forestille seg der.

Fordi broderiene er taktile, blir opplevelsen av dem kroppslig. Møtet mellom broderiene og den som har dem i hendene blir også dynamisk; det krever bevegelse gjennom berøring, og innebærer muligheten til å påvirke resultatet gjennom å dra i, klemme på, eller rive i arbeidene. Snu dem rundt, stikke fingrene igjennom eller vrenge dem, for å forstå dem, og kanskje oppdage nye verdener eller tenke nye tanker. Slite dem ned, eller etterlate seg skitt. Ønsket er at arbeidene skal hjelpe meg forstå teorien bedre, og utfordre hvordan jeg tenker på arkitektur generelt. Samtidig blir modellene materielle virkeligheter i seg selv.

Veileder: Nina Falk Aronsen
Eksaminator: Sandra Kopljar
Språk: Norsk

The core of my work lies in the computational design, where I present a method on how to work with mereological wholes. I have developed a tool in Grasshopper for this. This tool makes use of an algorithm called Wave Function Collapse, and this is what I use to distribute and guide the placement of parts based on the relations the parts can have among themselves. This leads to a design process where most of the design work happens in the design of the parts and their possible connections to other parts. These connections and relationships need to be designed in a way that can produce a meaningful whole.

Examiner David Andréen

Supervisor Gediminas Kirdeikis

“Reclaiming Eco-Assemblages” lays out a manifesto for increasing consciousness in thought and in actions when proposing an urban design for post-industrial areas. It also addresses problems related to climate change including environmental degradation and increasing climate extremes. The interdisciplinary approach taken in this thesis culminates key aspects and potentials that evoke ideas and reactions for governments, architects, and developers in order to implement blue-green strategies with nature-based management. The project site is called Varvsstdaen. It is an old industrial area in the western harbor of Malmö, Sweden. I have chosen Varvsstaden as it is a prioritized development area for Malmö City. The site today is experienced as an empty backside of the city. The development of the detailed urban design of Varvsstaden follows a literature study of ecological urbanism and nature-based management. This was supplemented with an in-depth regional and specific site analysis that focuses on spatial aspects of the existing and newly built environment in relation to the spatial quality of the green and blue landscapes as they make the cities healthier, livable and attractive for all species. Varvsstaden, as proposed in this project, will become a pedestrian-friendly district with a continuous and directly accessible green path. Flexible yet robust spaces with visual and spatial connectedness will be the highlight of the project aiming to achieve a cohesive and holistic urban design approach. 

The urgency of climate crisis and the worsening situation for humans in afflicted regions and the wildlife worldwide is alarming. No wonder why many people have started feeling worried and therefore it affects our mental health as well. We have to change the whole system and search for new ways how to exist and not harm the environment at the same time.

The case of centrally located waterfront in the fourth biggest Norwegian city gives the opportunity to create a new district that would combine resiliency for the future with attractivity for now, while connecting with the history as well. An industrial landfill area will be reconnected to the city and transformed into a lively district, where nature and culture meet and where people live more sustainably. Parking lots will be transformed into flourishing parks and people will be given comfortable solutions to move around without cars. The coastline will be arranged for humans to enjoy and for animals to thrive, and it will at the same time protect the city from the rising sea. A new festive street will gather a wide range of activities for everyone. People will be living in cooperating communities, surrounded by business opportunities and innovative solutions focused on pushing the research forward.

Through this exploratory transformation we may understand that we can live ‘a good life’ even though it will look different from the life that we are living right now.

I have designed a dismountable art gallery. With the help of a list of four core principles of design for disassembly, I try to navigate the process of purposely trying to emphasize specific construction aspects. Quickly, it becomes apparent that the tectonic expression should in fact be able to make a building easier to disassemble. The easier it is to understand how forces act on the building, and how different building elements can be taken apart, the easier it will be to disassemble it. But are these practical uses for tectonics all there is? What about “impractical” values, such as expressing moods and creating atmosphere?

Sekler, whose definition of the word tectonics lays the foundation of the thesis, argues that the most successful architecture cannot be designed through conscious control. Is trying to express disassembly not an attempt at taking conscious control? Can it be guaranteed that the building ends up expressing what it needs to express for it to be easy to disassemble?

• Examiner: Per-Johan Dahl
• Supervisor: Gediminas Kirdeikis

The presentation will be held in English.

Fungerande lek barn emellan bygger på turtagande och lyhördhet. Barnen tolkar varandra och bygger vidare på de andras fantasi. Uppstår inte detta samspel då ett barn i stället är för dominant och inte lyssnar in de andra blir leken lätt tråkig och ointressant.

Dagens typiska lekplats på en platt yta täckt i gummimatta inringad med ett staket och med slumpmässigt utplacerade lekredskap kan i sig beskrivas som dominant. En miljö som styr barnets lek och rörelser, gå upp här, åk ner här ect. Precis som man lätt tröttnar på den dominanta lekkamraten tröttnar man fort på den dominanta lekplatsen.

Jag vill i detta examensarbete presentera en lekmiljö som stimulerar barnets fantasi, en miljö som låter barnets inre bilder projiceras på den fysiska verkligheten. En miljö som tillåter barnen att vara medskapare av platsen och tar leken på allvar.

Jag har genomfört litteraturstudie och erfarenhetsstudie i form av minnen från min barndom. Den samlade kunskapen har lätt fram till följande 4 huvudprinciper.

• Medskapande
• Frihet och tillit
• Mångfald
• Respekt och trygghet

Huvudprinciperna är sedan uppdelade i ytterligare underkategorier som gestaltas i modeller.

Handledare: Alva Zalar

Examinator: Sandra Kopljar

Presentationsspråk: Svenska

Examensarbetet tar upp vad coliving kommer ifrån, vad det är idag och hur det skulle kunna se ut i form av ett gestaltat förslag situerat i centrala Malmö. Platsen för projektet är ett tomt kvartershörn i korsningen Monbijougatan och Helsingborgsgatan på Möllevången. I arbetet undersöker jag vilken typ av rum som behövs, hur gränser mellan privata och delade ytor kan utformas samt hur sociala interaktioner kan främjas med hjälp av arkitektur. För att även gynna en långsiktig hållbarhet utforskar gestaltningsförslaget hur boendet kan vara flexibelt över tid och förändras av de boende när nya situationer uppstår.

The tall building is indeed a vertical progression of a horizontal city and should be considered a vertical urban design and all the conventional considerations in the ground-plane of any typical urban design project need to be applied to the vertical plane of a tall building. Additionally, we know that incorporating mixed-use into our urban plans leads to more livable cities. The diversity of functions in tall buildings could vary from one floor to another creating more option activities for different users, design flexibility and city vitality than a single use function building.

In order to create a strategy to allow me to work in the complex section of a tall building I created three qualities that combine good design of the physical infrastructure of the built environment along with ways to engage, empower and enable people and communities to thrive: Mobility, Physical and People. They are based on the concept of livability and quality of life.

The former is used in many aspects of urban design and new approaches to city, the latter is one of the most important dimensions in sustaining any urban development. Finally, I added a third concept “the composition of a tall building” to understand it and come up with some solutions in the creation spaces of social and environmental contact that is based on both allowing the public and controlling the residential area. In order words, taking the steps of bringing the public into a vertically rising urban environment.

The site I chose was Hyllie that is today in rapid development with planning and construction of homes, offices, schools, preschools, parks and streets. In 2040, it is estimated that 25,000 people will live here.

The countryside provides the foundational systems of which feed all cities and communities. The relationships between countryside and cities are therefore becoming increasingly important on a local level as these crises unfold. The border between cities and countryside is where the collaboration of both sides will begin, learning along the process how to feed ourselves sustainably in a more local world.

Today, there are systems of cultivation which produce substantial amounts of food and resources without the negative consequences of industrial (or conventional) agricultural practices. These systems are founded on practices that have been used in small scales in different corners of the globe for millennia –however they are now also seen from a scientific perspective. The benefits of agroforestry and restoration agriculture have the potential of; restoring habitats for wildlife, increasing soil fertility, preventing erosion, and stabilizing weather patterns – all while producing resources that cities need.

Integrating local cultivation of food and resources is crucial for both production and educational purposes – both important when working towards food security. The project described in this thesis is about finding a bridge between the city, in this case between Brunnshög in Lund and its neighboring and vast agricultural lands on the Scanian plains. The findings in this thesis shines light upon the pressing issue of local food security, and contributes to envisioning ways to design new edible landscapes.

Now the aim is to use the remainder areas next to the former wall to continue and complete the expansion of the city, but instead of occupying the agricultural land, completing spaces in the city center. The area of former wall which was left behind during the urban sprawl process now gives space for a contemporary vision to the city. The proposal aims to highlight and reinforce Kalmar’s unique cultural history within the city center in a network that includes new uses along the water, the university, the castle, the fortification remains in the old town and the city park. The proposal has the following questions as a framework: How to keep the small scale of the city and turn it into a destination? How to keep the tradition through history and propose a contemporary district? How to conciliate the urban spaces with the landscape? Kvarnholmen in Kalmar is transformed under this proposal. Industry and warehouse operations are replaced by university’s activities, businesses, culture, residential buildings and a destination for tourists. The target image is a contemporary district completing the borders of a historical center.

Most of the housing stock that already exists is old, with outdated plans that do not fit with the lifestyle and needs of modern people. The modern ideals of the separation of functions have created housing districts that lack life, and whose residents are forced to commute long distances in order to work or access necessary commodities. Elements such as access to nature and environmentally friendly practices are not often taken into account.

Within this context, is it possible to design a housing neighborhood that is a satisfactory response to contemporary society’s many demands? Is it possible to create an intervention that offers multiple forms of housing, as is appropriate in today’s diverse society, as well as being environmentally friendly, combining multiple functions, and interweaving nature and urbanity?

This project my own effort to approach these questions within a realistic context. I shall design a new housing area located within Lunds Tekniska Högskola’s campus.

The presentation shall be held in English.

• Supervisor: Jesus Mateo
• Examiner: Tomas Tägil

För att undersöka detta har jag utformat och byggt en mobil bastu samt arrangerat queer bastu. Jag har under arbetet fokuserat på görande och att undersöka genom att testa. Jag har även sökt att ta in brukarperspektiv och skapa deltagandeprocesser, vilket har påverkat projektet från grundbriefen, genom byggprocessen och fram till bastupremiären.

Examinator: Sandra Kopljar

Handledare: Nina Falk Aronsen

Presenterar på svenska.

Sättet arbetet har sket på är genom ett pilotprojekt där en arketypisk miljonprogramsbyggnad i Holma i Malmö har renoverats. Jag har bland annat gjort beräkningar för hur väl isolerade väggarna är nu och vad som skulle behövas för att nå moderna BBR standards, gjort beräkningar och simuleringar av dagsljus och möjlighet för solenergi. Detta, tillsammans med platsanalyser och intervjuer av boende har sen legat till grund för min design av en ny fasad och tillägg på området.

En ny fasad med tilläggsisolering kan både ge ett ”ansiktslyft” till byggnaden och göra klimatet bättre inomhus. Förutom mer isolering ger modernt byggande även färre köldbryggor, det tillsammans med installation av PV kan ge en noll eller nära noll energi byggnad för klimatet. Ur både ett klimatperspektiv och ett trivselperspektiv har jag även haft en fokus på gröna, levande väggar, biodiversitet och odling. Växter och insektshotell finns hela vägen upp längs fasaden för att högst upp gå över till en full vertikal trädgård.

Mycket tankar har naturligtvis gått till att göra området och byggnaden trivsam, vacker och trevlig för de boende men utan att tumma på verkliga byggregler eller gå allt för långt mot en skrytbyggnad som skulle kosta mer än den smakar.

Examinator: Jouri Kanters
Handledare: Marie-Claude Dubois

The concept of the so-called superblock has been used as a tool in Barcelona to reorganize traffic and create more walkable and cyclist-friendly neighbourhoods. This facilitates less pollutant forms of mobility and creates more room for lively public spaces. The theoretical part of this thesis explores the block as a typology and then focuses on the superblock. It explores how the superblock could help to mitigate the consequences of climate change and relate it to the ecological and social dimension of sustainability. In order to do so, the concept and origin of the superblock is firstly introduced as well as an already implemented project in Barcelona presented.

The second, practical part of the thesis explores the implementation of a superblock in Vienna, Austria. The traffic within the site is reorganized and design solutions for the new streetscapes proposed. A central design proposal is the Hasnerstraßen HUB, a mobility hub that centralizes the parking possibilities and represents a new public space. Furthermore, the work explores how nature-based solutions could be integrated in the superblock as a typology to help adapt to the consequences of climate change. By doing that, an “advanced version” of the original superblock - the Superblock 2.0 will be proposed.

Sources:
European Environment Agency (2019) CO2-Emissionen von Autos: Zahlen und Fakten (Infografik), Europa.eu. Available at: www.europarl.europa.eu/news/de/headlines/society/20190313STO31218/co2-emissionen-von-autos-zahlen-und-fakten-infografik (Accessed: 22.01.2022)

Masson-Delmotte, V. et al. (2021) Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Available at: www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGI_SPM_final.pdf (Accessed: 24 January 2022).

Vienna (Austria)

Supervisor: Teresa Arana Aristi

Examiner: Jesper Magnusson

The sea provides us with a variety of foods, evens out the temperature on Earth and plays a key role in the water cycle. Life as we know it would not thrive without it and every other breath we take comes from the sea.

This project proposes to enhance the existing attraction of the shoreline in Akranes, Iceland, by connecting, activate and rebrand the shoreline. The municipality would be a pioneering town in Iceland to address nature experience, effects of climate change and connect water and land with a holistic plan that would also serve as a platform for education by offering people a window to the magical world of these transformation areas.

Akranes’s coastline has been shaped by the town’s historical development. During the last few decades, the town has gone through rapid transitions from being dominated by industrial fishing and cement factory and now stands at a crossroad to reinvent itself.

People belong as much to the ocean as the ocean does belong to them and therefore a symbiosis between them must occur. The coastline reflects the history of the inhabitants of Akranes, allowing them to recognize themselves in the landscapes and the beach, creating a sense of responsibility to take care of this life support system and respect the ocean.