Reimagining a million: an investigation into the potential of the dwellings of the million program

Abstract

This thesis is an investigation into the potential of the dwellings of the million program. It came to fruition through an interest in Sweden’s record years’, an era from 1965 to 1974 known as the million program. According to Boverket (2020), one in five of Sweden’s current homes was built during these years; this was a time when prosperity and hope for the future, powered by new modernistic ideas, created an expansion of the housing stock at a scale that is today hard to comprehend. The background of the topic selection was the negative image of the dwellings today; it sparked an interest in if it is as imperfect as it is perceived today. Are there qualities? If so, which? Today, six hundred thousand dwellings from the era are in a desperate state; there is an urgent need for rearmament. However today there is an ongoing debate if they should exist at all. Destroy or refurbish? The starting point of the thesis is the perspective that the best buildings are the ones already built. Especially when the building is as well built as most of the million program buildings are. The focus is on getting familiar with the debate around the buildings while concluding an opinion. Therefore, the history has been researched, its motivations, the era’s trends, what is possible and what needs we have in today’s society. The thesis will be developed through research by design by creating models and digital visual representation. The aim is to provide a different perspective by proposing an intervention of a building from the era, which can further contribute by inspiring developers and municipalities in what can be done. In essence, to provide an option by visualizing the potential from an aesthetical- and sustainable point of view. The intervention will have the outset that architectural interventions are dependent on context. Every site and era of the building has more or less its own history, social factors, and culture, which all are essential to take into account when designing. The history of a building should not be hidden or neglected but somewhat enhanced through improvements and change.