Description

The Färdknäppen Collective House in Stockholm, initiated in 1993 in close cooperation between the future residents, architect Jan Lundqvist, and the municipal developer Familjebostäder, still functions today as originally designed, focusing on collective living in the second half of life. The population is nonetheless heterogeneous and comprises around 50 people aged 45 to 90 years. Only the proportion of male residents, at about 25 percent, is generally considered too low, also by the current inhabitants. A large part of the resident population is still employed. In the Färdknäppen Collective House, the motivations for sharing are rooted, above all, in issues related to living in the post-family phase, autonomy and independence in old age, and the possibility to pass on large family apartments and houses to the next generation. This means that there are no children living in the Färdknäppen Collective House. Grandchildren are particularly welcome guests, but collective life itself is fundamentally targeted at people without children, or those in the post-family phase. The building is made up of 43 fully equipped one-, two-, and three-room apartments ranging from 37 to 75 m², with apartment size reduced by 10 percent in order to finance the shared living spaces.

The communal areas cover around 650 m² and are located primarily on the ground floor.[1] In addition to a shared kitchen, there is also a dining room, shared living room with library, workspace, sewing room, workshop, and shared laundry room. A guest room with lavatory can also be found on each of the six standard floors. There is another common room on the top floor, with a fireplace, tea kitchen, and lavatory. These frequently used rooms are complemented by a photo lab, sauna with bath, and fitness area in the basement. The Färdknäppen Collective House is operated by an association, of which all residents are members. The association can also be joined in order to get on the waiting list to become a resident, which currently includes about 70 people. Although residents of the Färdknäppen Collective House are renters and not owners, they are the only ones to decide who is accepted as a new occupant. The housing project is entirely selfoperated, with residents participating in cooking or cleaning groups on a rotating six-week cycle. Care is taken to ensure that the groups have a good mix of retirees and those still working.[2]

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Originally published in: Susanne Schmid, Dietmar Eberle, Margrit Hugentobler (eds.), A History of Collective Living. Forms of Shared Housing, Birkhäuser, 2019. Translation by Word Up!, LLC, edited for Building Types Online.