Welcome to our presentation of Swedish ... - Kollektivhus NU
Welcome to our presentation of Swedish ... - Kollektivhus NU
Welcome to our presentation of Swedish ... - Kollektivhus NU
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<strong>Welcome</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>our</strong> <strong>presentation</strong> <strong>of</strong><strong>Swedish</strong> cohousing experiences!Pho<strong>to</strong>grapher: Cecilia Enholm1 <strong>Kollektivhus</strong> <strong>NU</strong> • www.kollektivhus.nuThe pho<strong>to</strong> is from the Collective House Trekanten in S<strong>to</strong>ckholm. House-owner: Svenska Bostäder.
Snapshots from <strong>our</strong> his<strong>to</strong>ry• With a few early exceptions, cohousing projects began <strong>to</strong> appeararound 1980.• Although radical founder <strong>of</strong> <strong>Swedish</strong> welfare politics, the lab<strong>our</strong>movement has never embraced cohousing.The roots are found inmiddle class ideas about gender equity and social rationality.• The first cohousing units had staff employed <strong>to</strong> arrange meals andtake care <strong>of</strong> laundry. Private housing companies <strong>to</strong>ok the lead.• The self-work model <strong>of</strong> <strong>to</strong>day was conceptualized around 1980. Sincethen, a growing number <strong>of</strong> collective houses have seen the light <strong>of</strong>day, built and managed by public housing companies.2 <strong>Kollektivhus</strong> <strong>NU</strong> • www.kollektivhus.nu
In the <strong>Swedish</strong> context, ’cohousing’ covers• full-fledged collectives (mainly urban, a few rural)• eco-villages; normally separate dwellings united in eco-schemes• collective houses, designed <strong>to</strong> combine fully equipped privateapartments with collective living spaceIn <strong>to</strong>tal, these make up only a minute fraction <strong>of</strong> the housing market.The umbrella organization <strong>Kollektivhus</strong> <strong>NU</strong> strives <strong>to</strong> inform the publicabout the advantages <strong>of</strong> cohousing and create a more visible consumerdemand, and <strong>to</strong> stimulate housing companies <strong>to</strong> see cohousing as a viablealternative.3 <strong>Kollektivhus</strong> <strong>NU</strong> • www.kollektivhus.nu
Today, there are around 44 functioningcollective houses – as recorded by the umbrellaorganization <strong>Kollektivhus</strong> <strong>NU</strong>, and they –• have, and make use <strong>of</strong>, space and equipment for collective cooking andjoint meals, with responsibility for cooking shared between theirmembers,• collectively manage avariety <strong>of</strong> other jointamenities such asguestroom(s), washingmachines, living room,media (j<strong>our</strong>nals,TV,computers), workshop,sauna etc.Pho<strong>to</strong>grapher: Kerstin Kärnekull4 <strong>Kollektivhus</strong> <strong>NU</strong> • www.kollektivhus.nu
These collective houses• were mainly created during the 1980s, with a new wave beginning inthe late 90s• are located in urban areas• are by and large new housing units, built by housing companies, mos<strong>to</strong>f them municipal companies (parastatals)• represent most forms <strong>of</strong> occupation: individual tenancy (most frequentsolution), cooperative tenancy, and cooperative ownership• vary greatly in size, from less than 10 <strong>to</strong> more than 180 flats(i.e.households)• vary in degree <strong>of</strong> collective organization (though all have collectivespace in addition <strong>to</strong> the private flats)5 <strong>Kollektivhus</strong> <strong>NU</strong> • www.kollektivhus.nu
During the 1990s, a collectivehouse form designed for ‘thesecond half <strong>of</strong> life’ came <strong>to</strong> life• This version was designed <strong>to</strong> servethe needs <strong>of</strong> people in the secondhalf <strong>of</strong> life – 40 years or older,with no children in the household.It attracts not least senior citizenswho prefer a moderate level <strong>of</strong>collectivity.Pho<strong>to</strong>grapher: Kerstin Kärnekull• Of the 44 collective houses, 8belong <strong>to</strong> this category, and moreare <strong>to</strong> come. Politicians see themas an answer <strong>to</strong> the ‘aging’ <strong>of</strong> thepopulation and senior citizens’needs for <strong>to</strong>getherness andsecurity.6 <strong>Kollektivhus</strong> <strong>NU</strong> • www.kollektivhus.nuBuffét at Färdknäppen, S<strong>to</strong>ckholm. House-owner: Familjebostäder.
Cohousing unitsin Sweden■ LuleåVialenAll but very few <strong>of</strong> thecollective houses arefound in the southernpart <strong>of</strong> Sweden, mainlyin the larger cities.Majbacken bogemenskap,MajornaKornet, Bo i gemenskap,Fässberg, MölndalTrädet, KortedalaStacken, BergsjönRussinetRegnbågenFiolenSlottet7 <strong>Kollektivhus</strong> <strong>NU</strong> • www.kollektivhus.nu■ Borås■ GöteborgFortunaTunnan■ Landskrona■ Lund■ MalmöTersen■ HelsingborgPåängen■ Falun■ ÖrebroVildsvinet■ Växjö■ LinköpingS<strong>to</strong>lplyckanSämjanYxan<strong>Kollektivhus</strong> 2010BlomstretBlendaSlånbäretBoAktiv Landgången,Bunkeflostrand■ Gävle■ Uppsala■ S<strong>to</strong>ckholmSödra Stations kollektivhus,SödermalmSvärdet, Södermalm,Tullstugan, SödermalmSockenstugan, SkarpnäckElfvinggården, BrommaCigarrlådan, FarstaFristad, SpångaEKBO/Gebers, SköndalDunderbacken, AxelsbergFärdknäppen, SödermalmKOMBO, södra S<strong>to</strong>ckholmSolhem, Älmsta,VäddöUtkiken, SödermalmRio, GärdetTrekanten, LiljeholmenTaljan, SödermalmHässelby FamiljehotellSjöfarten, Hammarby SjöstadLergöken, SödertäljeÄngviksgården,VärmdöKupan, ÄlvsjöVildkornet (Vårbrodden),VällingbyFullersta Backe, HuddingePrästgårdshagen, ÄlvsjöOrion (4 pkthus), HägerstenTre Portar, Skarpnäck
Common <strong>to</strong> the <strong>Swedish</strong>collective houses are• that they are run by a residents’organization with an elected board,regular meetings and democraticdecision-making processesPho<strong>to</strong>grapher: Ingrid Sillén• that in most <strong>of</strong> them, the residents haveentered agreements <strong>to</strong> share –irrespective <strong>of</strong> sex – defined commontasks such as cooking, cleaning andadministrationChildren do the cooking at Södra Station, S<strong>to</strong>ckholm.• that joint meals are <strong>of</strong>fered betweenone and seven days a week.8 <strong>Kollektivhus</strong> <strong>NU</strong> • www.kollektivhus.nuCultiva<strong>to</strong>rs at Fullersta Backe, Huddinge. House-owner: Huge Fastigheter AB
No vic<strong>to</strong>ry is certain! Challenges faced by thecollective houses are:• That, in relation <strong>to</strong> the landlord, cohousing tenants succeed inmaintaining a degree <strong>of</strong> control over the selection <strong>of</strong> new tenants• That the landlord is made <strong>to</strong> understand and support the needs linked<strong>to</strong> this form <strong>of</strong> tenancy• That, in the case <strong>of</strong> private or cooperate ownership, the collectivehouse can establish and successfully defend its character in the face <strong>of</strong>market competition for urban housingTullstugan, S<strong>to</strong>ckholm Tersen, Falun S<strong>to</strong>lplyckan,LinköpingKornet, Mölndal Majbacken, Göteborg Regnbågen, Lund Tunnan, Borås Slottet, Lund9 <strong>Kollektivhus</strong> <strong>NU</strong> • www.kollektivhus.nu
How do we ensure that progress is secured?• by influencing public opinion <strong>to</strong> see and realize that cohousinggenerally enables a freedom <strong>of</strong> choice that does not exist inconventional housing, a kind <strong>of</strong> luxury living that <strong>of</strong>fers many spatialand social possibilities.• by making politicians, technicians and managers <strong>of</strong> housing companiesaccept the social and practical values <strong>of</strong> collective houses, inparticular for single parents, families with children and senior people.Party at Blenda, Uppsala. Meeting at Tullstugan, S<strong>to</strong>ckholm. Cake-party,Tre Portar, Skarpnäck. Building construction,Tersen, Falun.The Exhibition is sponsored byDick Urban Vestbro, chairman, <strong>Kollektivhus</strong> <strong>NU</strong>10 <strong>Kollektivhus</strong> <strong>NU</strong> • www.kollektivhus.nuProduced by: Bertil Egerö, Elsa Grip and Ingrid Sillén, 2010 • e-mail <strong>Kollektivhus</strong> <strong>NU</strong>: kollektivhus.nu@gmail.com