Boden Project Exhibited at Moderna Museet

On April 24, a spatial installation opened at ArkDes Torget, part of Moderna Museet’s operations in Stockholm. The exhibition is based on Team Boden’s work in Visioner i Norr, phase 2. There, a design team developed a model for utilizing existing houses and abandoned homes in rural areas, thereby creating more and sustainable housing options. This comes at a time when rural municipalities in northern Sweden are growing rapidly, and housing is a decisive factor in a broader societal transition driven by increased in-migration.

The project resulted in three prototypes: Local Value Creation (Bygdenyttan), Sharing Architecture, and Collaborative Building.

The proposals were formulated as a working method for development rooted in existing buildings, the history of the place, and the people and relationships connected to it.

The installation at Moderna Museet is accompanied by program events and discussions addressing key issues from the broader Visioner i norr project, with participants including representatives from the Municipality of Boden.

“It’s incredibly exciting that all the work we put into Gunnarsbyn has made such a strong impression. In a way, it shows that the problems we’re trying to solve aren’t just a side project in a small municipality like Boden, and I encourage everyone passing by Skeppsholmen to visit the exhibition,” says Gustav Hamlund.

He adds that even though the exhibition marks the conclusion of one project, it was neither the first nor the last in Boden.

“We’re already working on an independent continuation—every stone will be turned,” he says.

Continuation in Gunnarsbyn

Building on the work carried out in collaboration with the Municipality of Boden and the Gunnarsbyn community, local efforts have continued in Gunnarsbyn through a concrete housing project: “REBO – user-driven housing development in existing buildings.” The project is led by Anna Sundman and Magnus Björkman from Team Boden, with funding from FORMAS through the call “Effect! From research to practice.”

The new project aims to increase the use of existing small houses in rural areas through new forms of sharing and use. The goal is to develop, test, and evaluate resource-efficient and sharing-oriented housing solutions together with local users.

An initial meeting has been held, where invited stakeholders participated in a workshop. Among them was Råne River Valley Housing Company, which has begun acquiring properties for continued local housing development.

In May, Anna and Magnus will return to further develop the REBO initiative, including an open meeting for the entire community.

“Instead of just building new houses, we want to test in practice how housing can be shared and how new living arrangements can be created to suit more people. We also want to involve future residents in the development process, so they have the opportunity to influence how their homes are designed and managed,” says Anna Sundman.

“At Råek Real Estate Ltd., we view the project and the work now taking shape in Gunnarsbyn very positively. For us, actively working to acquire and develop properties in the area, initiatives like REBO are particularly interesting because they demonstrate how existing houses can be utilized and developed in a sustainable and long-term way. The user-driven approach and the focus on sharing and resource efficiency create new opportunities for how we can contribute to a vibrant rural area and a more flexible housing supply,” says Jenny Engström, Råek.

Read more about the exhibition.