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Senast inlagda
Non lonely architecture; an alternative approach for resilience to loneliness
(2025) Källander, Tove
The growing prominence of loneliness in public discourse underscores the
need for environments fostering social interaction. Stemming from unmet
needs for social connection, loneliness prompts questions about how
relationships are formed and the role of everyday spaces in building social
networks. This thesis thus investigates architecture’s potential to address
this challenge by facilitating relationship-building opportunities in local
contexts. Specifically, in Hammarkullen, Gothenburg.
Adopting a pragmatic context-sensitive approach,
mappings of existing conditions in the locality informed
gaps to in social opportunities. Leading to the proposed
intervention; a third place in the form of a resident centred
café, complementing the existing local social fabric.
The methodology is built on human-centered practices.
Recognizing that social engagement is subjective and
dependent on human perceptions and socio-spatial
relationships. This led to a mixed-methods approach
adopting from discourses on loneliness and co-creation
architecture. Key methods applied cover; Relational mapping
of social systems informing the project positioning,
involving traditional architectural methods, interviews
and the use of relationscapes.
Relationscapes were also applied in thematic mappings
of system dynamics. Further, destinations were identified
and evaluated to their social quality towards loneliness
using qualitative and quantitative methods concluding
a mapping of social opportunities in the locality. In the
design process, a participatory process was conducted
with a focus group, co-creating the café. Overall, the
methodology and theoretical framing are influenced by
fields of human geography, gerontology, and relational
architecture. The results shaped a conceptual narrative
of a resident-centered café. Developed through civil,
public, and grassroots collaboration. Wherein process,
the architect takes on a role of facilitating relationships in
addition to the traditional role of spatial expertise.
This thesis concludes that co-creation processes can
produce social values relevant to mitigating loneliness
while also fostering shared ownership of urban spaces
and strengthening local agency. Furthermore, it infers
that relational mappings of dynamic social systems can
serve as tools to decipher where and how interventions
can be most effective. Thus, contributing to the broader
discourse on loneliness, participatory architecture, and
citizens’ rights to shape their built environment
Flora funga fauna reclaiming; residents of the fallow land
(2025) Günther, Nina Leona
The building sector and its highly invasive practices pose a
general threat to ecosystems and biodiversity all over our
planet, the earth. Therefore, the architectural field has to find
alternative approaches next to the current harmful status quo.
With the goal to design and build equitable for all species, a
shift from human-centered decision making towards adopting a
more-than-human perspective in design processes might offer
a solution.
To test this approach, a former industrial site in rural, central
Germany acts as an experimental field. Central to this work is to
understand the reclaim of this site by flora, funga and fauna as a
form of reconciliation between humans and more-than-humans.
Exploring the existing relationships between the species found
on site was essential to this work‘s research approach.
The following goals were explored by adopting a more-than-human
perspective: Understanding and challenging human
and more-than-human appropriation of former industrial sites
in rural areas, and finding strategies to integrate more-than-humans
into human design processes, while making their
entanglement and relationships visible. Also, communicating
and discussing the value of more-than-human species at
former industrial sites. And finally, to contribute to change the
understanding of ‘revitalizing‘, of ‘ruined‘ buildings, of ‘lost
places‘ and ‘wilderness‘.
The key theories this project is based on are connected to the
more-than-human approach, post anthropocentrism, agency,
entanglement, citizenship and representation of more-than-human
species and interspecies relationships. Donna Haraway,
Sue Donaldson, Will Kymlicka, Bruno Latour and Friedensreich
Hundertwasser provided the theoretical base here.
The work is divided in three main parts: firstly, field research
to observe, document and collect data, secondly short design
exercises to understand the relationships of the species in
their ecosystem and propose an equitable design, and lastly,
creating a design strategy to communicate the found results and
strategies. Mainly qualitative methods such as consultations,
mapping, photography, drawing, species facts sheets,
relationscapes, collaging and reflecting were the tools.
By using an abductive approach, meaning to simultaneously
look at literature and the specific site, the strategy on how to
respond to this thesis’ question was produced.
A softer Skutskär; a design methodology on developing public life in a small town centre
(2025) Gordon Hultsjö, Ebba
Skutskär, the central town in Älvkarleby municipality
with around 6000 inhabitants, is currently developing
its centre since there is a will from the municipality to
increase the attractiveness in the centre and in turn
improve the public life; in other words the social life
which occurs in the open public spaces, by increasing
it. The size and scale of Skutskär places it into a rurban
context which isn’t either the countryside or a city. This in
turn gives special conditions and circumstances.
The thesis ”A softer Skutskär” aims to develop a design
methodology on how to work with increasing public
life in a small town centre. The work is divided into
answering the questions ”What, how, and where?” within
the framework of finding interventions and ways of
working to increase public life in a rurban context centre.
This gives the research question ”How can public life be
increased in the rurban context of Skutskär centre?”.
The design methodology summarizes the research
on public life into five key factors which are needed
for increasing public life: streets, public and private,
microclimate, activity, and scale. The key factors continue
throughout the methodology by looking at different
references, mapping analysis methods, and design
tools based on the key factors. All of this information is
tested on the specific site, Skutskär centre, to explore
the rurban preconditions. Is there a difference compared
to increasing public life in a city? The thesis shows that
the key factors and what you need to achieve might not
differ in the rurban scale, but instead what is needed is
to broaden the perspective of what these key factors
could look like. The metrics for the amount of people
that is seen as a street full of public life might not be the
same in a city compared to a rurban centre, and the main
meeting place could be outside the food shop or by the
bus stop.
A discussion summarizes the findings of the thesis,
and in conclusion the material does not present a
finalized answer, but instead it offers ways of building
an argumentation and presents another way of thinking
when planning in the rurban context.
The future heritage of artificial landscape; challenging the concept of aesthetics and exploring identity in the reinterpretation of industrial entities
(2025) Benek, Maksymilian; Suszczak, Aleksandra
With the contemporary world becoming more conscious
of the choices made concerning use of natural resources,
industrial areas are going through a shift of perception, and
their future is uncertain. As they are examined, a question is
posed whether they represent heritage, lives of the former
generations, or are simply parts of a rather regrettable past.
The purpose of this master thesis was to investigate the
potential shift in perception of post-industrial spaces and
prove that they should be considered as future heritage. It has
aimed to challenge the commonly accepted idea of aesthetics
and find appealing qualities in the artificial landscapes created
due to human activities. It concentrated on the reinterpretation
and readaptation of post-industrial structures and emphasized
the need for new nature in those areas. The project area
was located in the city center of Gothenburg, focusing on
Rosenlundsverket - a power plant located on the riverbank of
Göta Älv.
By conducting multiple site visits and collecting accessible
archival material, the site and its context were analyzed,
treating Rosenlundsverket and its surrounding landscape as
one entity. Utilizing the research by design method, volume
studies have been conducted, determining the most suitable
design option for the site. Reference projects were treated
as case studies, and design methods present in them were
transferred into the design. With the aid of transformation
theories, a new narrative was suggested for Rosenlundsverket.
The proposed reinterpretation of the building suggested
exploring it as a part of the public realm and reintegrating it
with nature. The thesis has also proposed new functions for
the existing building in the form of an art museum and a club,
with the contemporary additions complementing them with
art studios and an auditorium. The landscape design took
the form of a park situated around Rosenlundsverket and
proposed a new nature design language for the city.
The design proposal is represented in the form of drawings
and visualizations that emphasize the design concept and
contrast between old and new. The design proposes a
space that should be for all, making heritage tangible and
approachable while simultaneously enhancing the identity of
Rosenlundsverket and carrying it further into the future.
Close the gap; exploring evidence based design as a tool to bridge the strategic and detailed planning
(2025) Olin Pape, Rasmus
Cities play a central role in addressing current and future social
and ecological challenges. Meeting these challenges requires
us to take a comprehensive approach to the planning and developing
our urban environments. A challenge in the Swedish
planning system is the gap between strategic planning and
detailed planning. This gap could hinder positive system effects
and limit the potential of planning. Furthermore, if conflicts
between social and ecological aspects are not identified and
addressed early in the planning process, resolving them later
becomes both more difficult and expensive.
This thesis explores how an evidence-based design method can
bridge this gap. The aim is to develop a framework for planning
places based on their system conditions, with the goal
of achieving desirable system effects. The design method also
aims to foster a deeper understanding of the system by providing
spatial insight into potential conflicts between social and
ecological values in urban development projects and offering
strategies for managing these conflicts through urban design
and planning.
The method is being applied and tested on a site in the municipality
of Varberg, which has been selected as a case study.
Several spatial studies are being conducted on the site to analyse its
spatial configuration and identify how it may contribute to socio-ecological
conflicts, as well as which conflicts
may potentially arise in future development. Furthermore, the
evidence-based design method is used to investigate the possibilities
for mitigating these conflicts while enhancing desired
system effects.
The design phase involves testing and evaluating different spatial
configurations, based on the thesis’s theoretical framework.
Based on these evaluations, the site’s spatial configuration is
redesigned to achieve the desired effects. This iterative design
process contributes to knowledge development by demonstrating
the impact of different configurations on socio-ecological
conditions.
The study results in an evidence-based design process that
can be incorporated into the planning of urban development
projects, helping to identify contextual design criteria that can
enhance positive system effects and mitigate potential conflicts
between ecological and social aspects.