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Lund University - 2019Indavidual
This housing project explores how architecture can respond to a growing social issue in Sweden and beyond. Today, more than 54% of Swedes live alone, within a culture that strongly values individualism. While independence is celebrated, this trend has contributed to rising levels of loneliness and depression.Through this project, I wanted to examine the ingredients of a happy life and investigate how residential design could play a role in fostering community, connection, and wellbeing.The scheme proposes the adaptive reuse of three preserved concrete factory silos, located on a landmark site within an area of affluent new housing developments. Their imposing presence offered a powerful starting point: a way to anchor the design in its industrial past while addressing the urgent demand for new forms of housing. The silos provided an opportunity to create living environments that not only meet housing needs but also encourage social interaction and a greater sense of belonging.
I chose to explore my growing interest in philosophy and how it might inform an architectural response. I was particularly drawn to the writings of Alain de Botton, who conveys lessons from great thinkers of the past in an accessible way.
Initially, I believed that if a building or neighbourhood were to influence happiness, it must above all be beautiful and aesthetically attuned to human needs. Beauty in the built environment is not entirely subjective; spaces and forms can profoundly affect our emotions and behaviour. Yet, as De Botton notes — and as Rem Koolhaas aptly reminds us, “anyone can be miserable anywhere” — aesthetics alone cannot guarantee happiness.
This line of thought led me to search for the one overriding factor that consistently contributes to human happiness, regardless of place.
Typical apartment corridor
Stairwell from 1890 Swedish building
Research revealed that social integration not only enhances happiness but is also proven to increase life expectancy. Feeling socially connected and part of a community is one of the most significant factors influencing quality of life.
This realisation made me reflect on the design of many contemporary apartment blocks, which often overlook this fundamental human need. Living in one myself, I found it striking how unusual it is to sleep so close to so many people, yet remain strangers. By contrast, my experience of university accommodation — where shared spaces encouraged casual encounters — had given me a greater sense of belonging and life satisfaction.
With this in mind, my aim became to design a place where residents could live independently, while naturally fostering opportunities for community.
Existing Silos
Commuter cycle route into Malmö
The concept centred on rethinking circulation. Instead of treating movement through a building as a purely functional element, I sought to make it playful, open, and visible. The silo’s geometry allowed for a double winding ramp and stair, wrapped around shared communal spaces. This creates gentle moments of encounter, gradually increasing familiarity among residents.
To support this social framework, the scheme integrated shared facilities such as laundry rooms, gardens, and tool rooms. These everyday functions provide simple, natural opportunities for interaction — encouraging strangers to become neighbours, and neighbours to become a community.
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