The architectural design of Swedish live-work premises : A case study on live-work premises and its potential

Sammanfattning: The pandemic has forced many to work from home and to mix the work environment with the residential environment. The question is if this works? A new concept, based on an old, is live-work premises or as they are called in Sweden bokaler. Bokaler is a concept where the residence is integrated and coexist with work. Bokaler as a concept is not limited to home offices and can involve more traditional work such as service work. A year with this new work environment has made people more aware of the benefits. Many would like to keep being able to work from home after the pandemic, but there has also been reports of concerns regarding how good the home-work environment is. With this new trend, this report will explore the design choices that should be considered when designing a desirable work and residential environment, or in other words desirable bokal premises. This study also hypothesises that live-work premises can benefit vision of safer and more attractive cities. As safety and attractiveness is often associated with the “mixed city,” a term used by architects and municipality staff alike. The possibility to establish bokaler as a concept in Sweden will also be explored. The research is based upon a casestudy research method, where the empiric data comes from surveys (users of existing bokaler), interviews with architects and urban planners, and even how existing theories about creating desirable environments can becompared with existing bokaler in Sweden. The research will benefit a design method that will use the data as arguments for design choices. The study uses this method to see if the desired qualities can be replicated. The research managed to interview ten owners of bokaler, five architects and study six different variations ofthe bokal typology. The result showed that it is often difficult to include allthe desired functions from a work or residential environment. Since bokaler often are placed on the bottom floor many users experience discomfort from being exposed to the city. Architects also points out that there are legislative issues that prevents the concept to thrive fully, they also point out that there could also be cultural and societal limitations to the concept. For instance, workspaces and residences are taxed differently from each other, so that a mix of those functions becomes difficult to assess what law should be abided. The Swedish society also benefits larger companies compared to sole proprietorships, which are oftenthe users of bokal premises. To establish small businesses in a residential area, to achieve a mix of functions would implicate huge risks for thoseowners. The resulting considerations to designa bokal, came down to three things, for it to thrive in Swedish society. These three considerations were also replicated in a design proposal for asite in Luleå.Functions (residential and work functions) should preferably not mix inside the premise. This is because separations lead to less conflict and can even be able to create a more pleasant environment. The bokal should be flexible in its use of rooms and spaces so that it can adapt to changes and multiple functions. The bokal premise relation to the city is also important. The placement in the city and the density of people is important for it to thrive, but also for those who live in the premise to prosper the organisation of rooms and functions should be reflected upon.That the bokal can benefit an attractive society is difficult to assess before seeing the concept itself thriving inthe Swedish society. The possibility to achieve social control exist in theory but is something that should be researched more thoroughly.