Kvarteret Ithaka: A proposal for a new housing district in Lund’s northern university area.

Abstract: Matters of housing are an often-discussed topic within architecture these days. As a subject, it is often recurring in architectural media, such as books, debates, podcasts, videos, and others. Sweden, like large parts of the developed world, faces right now a multitude of unique issues related to housing. It has become an expensive commodity, especially for younger people. Most of the existing housing stock is old, with outdated plans that do not fit a contemporary lifestyle. The modernistic 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. With those statements in mind, this project shall attempt to answer the following questions within a realistic 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? In order to explore these questions, a new housing area shall be proposed in the northern university area of Lund. This project is divided into two parts: the first part, the research, begins with a short summary of Lund’s history, a presentation of the current situation and the future goals of Lund’s urban planning and development, as defined by the municipality. This is to acquaint the reader with the historical and social context of the proposal, as well as other important subjects that are approached. In the second part, the proposal, the area of my proposal is defined and analyzed, both through references to bibliography as well as my own explorations and observations. A masterplan is then proposed for the chosen area. Finally, a smaller sub-area of the masterplan is chosen, drawn and presented in greater detail, in order to illustrate the character and expression intended for the entire proposal.