THE COLLECTIVE NEXT DOOR

Fågelbärsträdet 12 is a property on John Ericssonsgatan on the area of Kungsholmen in Stockholm. It has been emptied since 2018 and undergoing the application process for demolition due to erroneous use of aluminate cement during its construction in the 1930’s, making the structure weak and at risk of falling down. In this project, the site is reused and reinforced to accommodate a collective housing for single mothers with their children, and elderly. By reusing an existing building, the question regarding the life cycle of building was touched. Most often, proprietors decide upon demolition for economic gain which mean throwing away energy and resources used to build the building, and only to build a new one. Furthermore, the proximity of the site to the iconic Markelius Kollektivhus (which is just next door), gave an opportunity to revitalize the concept of collective living to modern day society. Using collective living as a tool, social and economic sustainability was also taken into consideration. Through a collective, a community within the building can easily flourish and become a support system both for all the residents. The result of the project is the reinforcement of the existing load-bearing walls, a new entrance from the courtyard, and new co-living spaces on the upper floors. There are social spaces accessible to the public on the ground floor (restaurant and youth recreation space), and collective activity rooms on the upper floors for the residents to use.