We are domesticated : The Swedish standard standardizes its users

Abstract: 1954 in Sweden, an average was set. Research carried through by Hemmens forskningsinstitut and Byggstandardiseringen explained the Swedish inhibitors demands and wishes they had on their accommodation. God Bostad was the written attempt to describe this newly announced “Good Dwelling”. The text aimed to mention through which norms this dwelling’s qualities ought to be assessed. Several requirements were made. Through a combination of research through design, quantitative investigations and literature reviews, including the book “God Bostad” I have reviewed these requirements. My topic is you. It is also me, and everyone else living in Sweden. It is about our Swedish domesticity. By that I mean our homes and our life in our homes and every object, atmosphere, behaviour and arrangement connected to it. Swedish domesticity is a fact. It is verified the moment we go to look at a potential new home at an apartment viewing. We see it in IKEA commercials, staging Swedish life. Not to forget, we see it in building permits and therefore in our floorplans. All three documents describing an expected Swedish desire. This paper contains literature reviews on texts tackling how commercial agendas, politics and societal change decides how we are supposed to behave in our homes. It reflects on how the Swedish inhibitor is designed for consumption and Swedish behaviours. The Swedish behaviours and desires are explained in a dwelling type, fiction and materiality through the lense of Bygglov, IKEA and Visningar. What are the rules of Swedish architectural domesticity, with what techniques are they verified and what universal truth do they design for their users? I have tried to investigate if we have completely lost it. The Swedish standards are not only measurements but telling a story of who the Swedish inhibitor is.