Densification through transformation; a transformation of a former school into a sustainable mixed-use residential block
Typ
Examensarbete för masterexamen
Master's Thesis
Master's Thesis
Program
Architecture and planning beyond sustainability (MPDSD), MSc
Publicerad
2024
Författare
Abdul-Rahman, Saleh
Modellbyggare
Tidskriftstitel
ISSN
Volymtitel
Utgivare
Sammanfattning
In recent years, Sweden has experienced a significant
housing shortage, driven by a growing population and a
lack of affordable apartments. To address this, major cities
are undergoing inward expansion within the relatively
sparsely built Swedish cities, commonly referred to as
urban densification.
The purpose of this thesis is to design dense low-scale
urban densification through the transformation of a former
school, as opposed to demolition and new construction.
The focus is on Tynneredsskolan, a school in western
Gothenburg scheduled for demolition and replacement
with residential buildings. This approach aligns with the
current densification trends in western Gothenburg, where
schools are often demolished and replaced with densely
built residential areas. This practice is part of a larger wave
of demolitions across the country, where fully functional
buildings are demolished instead of being transformed.
The aim is to create a healthy and sustainable residential
project using research by design as a starting point and
to understand the causes and consequences of urban
densification on a neighborhood scale. Previous research
suggests that profit-driven urban development may
negatively impact well-being and indoor climate, resulting
in issues such as inadequate natural daylight in apartments,
compromised privacy, and low-quality outdoor common
green spaces.
The transformation proposal primarily focuses on adapting
the residential layout to the existing structure, ensuring
good daylight, and maintaining residents’ privacy. A
comparison is made through an life-cycle analysis (LCA)
between the transformed school and conventional multifamily
buildings that have replaced former school sites. The
proposal demonstrates how an already built, functionspecific
structure with good architectural qualities can be
transformed with positive results on multiple scales. The
LCA shows that there are environmental gains to make by
transforming the existing school instead of demolishing it,
but it also comes with challenges.
Another conclusion is that there needs to be a reevaluation
of existing buildings currently deemed not valuable, as it is
not sustainable to continue with the trend of unnecessary
demolitions
Beskrivning
Ämne/nyckelord
transformation, LCA, residential, urban densification