PM 6: Ekobyn Understenshöjden

With initatives from a private future resident for the residential area in 1990, mainly completed in 1995.

Main idea: A way of living and building close to nature, healthy and environmentally friendly without burdening earth’s natural resources nor producing too much waste. Social sustainability and participation in planning, building and managing is as important as the ecological issues.

Living close to nature in a unrban context (Björkhagen 3km from Stockholm). In close proximity to public transportations and services.

Planning and construction was conducted in a democratic process including the future residents, HSB, SMÅA-hus and the city of Stockholm. The process became considerably longer, and partly complicated, compared to a conventional housing project.

Objective to have low rent and operating costs. One or two storey rowhouses, 44 households

Community Thinking

Designed resources
Throughout the construction of Understenshöjden, natural building material as wood, brick, bricktiles, vitriol, linseed oil paint etc. have been utilized both for ecological and aesthetical reasons. Well-designed and proportioned details, finishes both interior and exterior has been a priority. Sensorial and tactile experiences are important for maintaining a certain level of belonging and taking care of the commons. Examples of environmentally friendly technical solutions implemented in Understenshöjden are heating by solarpanels (water), district heating, and pellet heating, and local biological sewage management with urinseparating toilets, ponds etc. (but finally connected to the municiaplity system), and recycling and composting of waste.

Social resources
Community thinking permeates the entire fabric of the social lifestyle of Understenshöjden. For example the creation of a common facility which permits social gatherings as dinner parties and children’s activities. The residents have themselves the responsibility for maintenance and administration and social activities, which is carried out via groups of residents. To facilitate a locally rich life, the school has a key social role, in providing a naturally occuring meeting node. The community wish to attain opportunities to work from home and locally in Understendhöjden. Car pools, sharing of e.g. gardening equipment etc strengthens the sense of community. The importance of long perspectives and therefore sustainable solutions creates a sense of responsibility and belonging that manifests throughout all levels of Understenshöjden.

Economical resources
JAK-loans, implementing a high level of saving compared to the size of the loan, allowed for a low interest. Possible to affect initial invesment cost by applying to one of three levels of auto-construction. Long life and low maintenance buildingmaterials and finishes. Thanks to shared maintenance of the neighbourhood individual household costs are kept down. Shared resources.

Biological resources
Understenshöjden is located in very close proximity to the Nacka nature reserve, which is used for recreational activities, play, swimming etc. The immediate surroundings of the houses offer courtyards, terraces, cultivation and common greeneries. Each household also has its own patio and private garden. The biological resources not only have aesthetical and recreational functions but also function as wind and visual barrier.

Solutions and technical details
All the future households had 1 hour each with the architect Bengt Bilén to make adjustments in their plan. All the houses had a standard plan and then each household could choose to buy alternative solutions as interior details, technical solutions as floor heating etc., higher ceiling etc...

Solutions that were general for the whole are not as common as in traditional housing were, except the choice to only have natural building materials was the brick bathroom. It is the same way of building “wet” rooms as before the 1960’s when no plastics were used in the construction. Since the brick can absorb a certain amount of humidity, it’s suitable in humid rooms and if it is connected to the ground it can conduct humidity out of the construction. The municipality didn’t allow and the brick construction to continue to the ground so it was finally positioned on plinths. The construction company didn’t believe in it neither so the floor construction of the bathroom were finally built as a traditional bathroom floor with plastic (Eubit) to block humidity.

Even though large windows would increase heating costs, the esthetical and functional reasons why to have large windows were more important.

Similiar projects
The eco-village Hällen in Hågaby outside Uppsala is a very similar project. They have also their own small supermarket for example which they run and in which they are obliged to spend a certain amount every month. Its location on the countryside also allows a larger extent of self-sufficiency considering food production and they have more common green areas.