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MULTIFACETED ARCHITECTURE

AND THE PUBLIC SPACE

DOUGLAS LARSSON

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MULTIFACETED ARCHITECTURE

AND THE PUBLIC SPACE

DOUGLAS LARSSON

Larsson, Douglas.

Multifaceted Architecture. And the Public Space.

Degree project in built Environment 20 högskolepoäng.

Malmö universitet: Faculty of Kultur och Samhälle institutionen för Urbana Studier, 2020.

Keywords: Architecture, City Planning, Living city, Micro architecture,

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Abstract

Focusing on human interaction with the dense built environment in a city, this essay explores the experienced space, i.e. the physical built space and the perceived space as one dimension. From this perspective, the essay considers the visual information that the built environment projects. The essay proposes a theorem for understanding and categorizing architecture based on its potential diversity of activities that the building encapsulates. The ability to interpret and challenge the perceived understanding of the built environment supplies the basis for the key concept of this essay: multi-faceted architecture.

In this essay, multi-faceted architecture is a motto for architectural design and planning, and derives from the fact that the very meaning of a function for a given piece of architecture is something that needs to be addressed further by the architect, designer or other building experts. As our modern cities expand at an ever-increasingly higher speed, the need for public space with a multi-faceted architecture is needed more than before. Firstly, the essay defines the concept of multi-faceted architecture and its constituents. Secondly, the essay supplies a framework for analysing Multifaceted architecture and a way of categorizing it. This essay aims at opening a deeper dialogue on architectural quality based upon theory from current architectural theorists and architectural theory. The essay uses a sociological perspective to understand why appropriate architecture, in the context of the surrounding environment, can lead to a more successful activation of a given space. To test the theorem that concerns multi-faceted architecture, the theorem is applied and tested in the old city of Malmö. Due to the COVID-19 virus outbreak, these tests have been executed virtually. Thirdly, this essay reflects upon the role of multi-faceted architecture in a modern city.

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Acknowledgements

First and foremost, a huge thank you to my supervisor, Marwa Dabaieh for believing in my idea and supporting me until the very end. Without her insight and continuous feedback, this thesis would not hold the same level. I would also like to thank Courtney Coyne-Jensen and Jesper Magnusson for all the inspiring and valuable teachings you have given me over the years. All of you have played a crucial part in widening my senses and allowing me to observe and analyze the urban environment in a deeper sense. Thank you.

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Table of Contents

Abstract 3

Acknowledgements 4

Table of Contents 5

Introduction 6

Aims and scopes 7

Problem 7 Questions 8 Methodology 9 Ethical considerations 9 Empirical Data 10 Limitations 11 Literature Review 11 Theoretical Background 14 Contingency 15 Behavioural Mapping 16

Making Sense of Urban Space 18

Micro Architecture 19

Polyvalent Cities 20

Building a Theory on Appropriate Architecture 22

Introverted Architecture. 26 Inviting Architecture 28 Findings 31 Malmö 32 Discussion 41 Formulating a Theory 42

Differentiating the Archetypes 43

Final Remarks 44

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Introduction

It is a summer day and the sun is out, everyone flocks to the restaurants, the coffeeshops, and to whatever seating is available in the public, just to catch some of the sun's warmth. It is in moments like these that you really feel the urban space come alive and when everyone is sharing one big collective living room.

The Urban Living Room

This urban living room has a wide variety of functions, but let us focus our attention towards the specific type or category of architecture that can be described as “seating”. At first glance this might seem like a dull or idyllic function to focus a project around, since it’s so

primitive. But the mere fact that it is so trivial, means that it is an essential need, and is more or less required of any public space or any socially active space for that matter. The ability to sit, is in itself a core function of urban environment and is a necessity for the majority of spaces in order to gain the desired activation.

When we think of architecture or architectural elements that functions as seating we usually think of chairs, benches, and so on. Rarely, do we think about the projecting window sill or the circumference of a sturdy flower pot that offer an improvised plane for sitting. When humans interact with the built environment, objects and intended functions achieve a new meaning. This is especially true for objects belonging in the urban environment, since there the people that interact with the object are not the owner of said object and might not have the same use, or the same value of that object as the owner or client does. An example of this can be found in Magnusson (2016; 13) where he describes five men using a piece of

custom-made cardboard to change the function of a litter-bin to a table-top used for playing a game of cards. These men didn’t interact with the object in its intended way, instead they made their own interpretation of the object and derived a new function, a table-top for playing cards. While this is a good example illustrating the multipurpose use of everyday architecture, it still required a modification to the original object.

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Aims and scopes

The goal of this project is to develop and propose a theorem for architecture with a

multi-purpose aim to​better understand how it plays a part in bringing a more nuanced urban environment. Combined with existing research and knowledge surrounding the subject, I would like to propose a theorem, based upon already existing theories on appropriate architecture, to conceive a more active and successful urban environment. Initially the plan was to conduct a series of ethnographic studies in Malmö, Gamla staden but for reasons explained in the Methodology section that is no longer possible. Instead I will use already existing studies and pictures on the subject. The pictures are there to help formulate an understanding on how the interaction with architecture happens, and to understand how, where, and when multifaceted architecture allows for a wider user group.

Problem

While we as a society move towards a more modern society, we need to keep building larger and larger cities to allow for the ever expanding population to fit. This is happening at such high rate that city planning is using all its capacity towards making more and more space for efficient buildings, and little attention is given to the spaces where society exists. Commonly we see cities where the primary function of the urban environment is for people to get from point A to point B and preferably with a car. The result of this, is a city that does not have space for any activity outside of the autonomous mindsets of the architects and city planners. We are in need of a new approach to the spaces between buildings and how to make that space more accessible.

This thesis aims to analyze and build a relation between the text and the images through a reflective approach. The point of this project is not to come to some definitive and conclusive “truth”. On the contrary this project aims to gather material for discussion on urban

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understand why and where Multifaceted architecture occurs and where it can be created, this is done through the analytical and reflective observations in Malmö, Gamla staden.

Questions

- How does Multifaceted architecture help to create more sustainable urban environments?

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Methodology

This thesis´ objective is to observe and study architecture with more than a singular function or use-case. While you can certainly claim something is multifaceted, the real test is

observing human behavior together with the environment to find out to what degree this occurs. Finding out similarities in successful designs, as well as designs that does not allow for multifaceted use-cases is the goal. With this in mind, a roadmap was created for how one would approach architecture and design, to enable a wider range of activities to occur. This thesis is an academic essay on architecture where the objective is to formulate a theory on the topic of Multifaceted Architecture. This is done by a series of virtual case-studies in Gamla Staden, Malmö. The case-studies are also complemented by my own experience of the location as to formulate deeper thoughts closer to that of an ethnographic study. The images used for the virtual case-study are taken from public databases (such as Flickr and Google Maps) and is done so via keyword searches in relation to locations in Gamla Staden. For the literature a lot of scientific papers and third-party research was also gathered via keywords searches on reputable databases. While some databases are available to the public (such as JSTOR), some were locked and accessed through a login given by the University.

Ethical considerations

There were no direct and obvious ethical issues that arose during the collection of empirical data since no interviews were done, and the pictures are sourced online and cited

appropriately. The main issues in question are the usage of people in the pictures and the manner in which their anonymity and that their rights are not infringed upon. As the Swedish Research Council states: “​Fundamental is that research is approved only if it can be

conducted with respect for human dignity and if human rights and basic freedoms are considered at all times.” (Vetenskapsrådet 2020)

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The other issues pertaining to ethicality is in relation to; A: the level of objectivity in the reflective parts of the analysis, and B: The acknowledgements of works of other authors through a correct citing system, which in this case, is the Harvard system.

Firstly, how does this thesis achieve a high as possible standard of objectivity? Through a process called content analysis, infused with a reflective nature, this results in a more objective and, in turn, more fruitful analysis. The method of content analysis is discussed more in deeper sense in the next section. Lastly, through the consistent use of citing, and a clear notion of when other works are cited, this essay avoids the chance of being interpreted as scrutinising. This is especially important in relation to the pictures that were used in the findings section.

Empirical Data

For the empirical material the plan was as mentioned earlier to conduct a series of

ethnographic studies but for reasons already stated this was undoable. Instead I had to make do with my own previous observations on the location. Since I have been living close to Malmö for my entire life I have been experiencing the environment for a long time, and also conducted a series of field studies on the location on previous occasions.

Because of the restrictions that came with the social distancing programs set in place, I will not conduct any ethnographic studies of my own, therefore all the pictures will be from third parties and all the original owners of said photographs will be cited down in the references. The pictures are used to highlight the environment, and from them qualitative research methods in forms of content analysis where the images will be divided into the categories of Inviting architecture and Introverted architecture. The reason for using photographs is because they capture a moment or a slice in time, like a section through an event. With the help of photographs we ​can​ get access to something that is very pure in terms of observing everyday life in cities. A common issue with the photographs that I have been analysing,

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especially from the archives of Malmö Stad is that the main object of the photographs tended to be the architecture without human interaction. This wouldn't have been a problem if I was conducting the field trips, but one has to make do. To solve this issue I had to widen my gaze to other third-party photography libraries/archives that contain photographs of Malmö city to use together with my analysis to visualise and highlight recurring patterns from said photos. The way that i choose to approach this is to look at the pictures from the perspective of human interaction and activities. By looking at architecture through the lens of interaction it forces the analysis to be based on the human factor and on the endeavour to have urban spaces built for humans, not deserted voids exempt of all human life.

Limitations

The main limitation to my research will mainly be to put a restraint on the number of types of architecture. Initially the plan was to conduct a series of ethnographic studies in the old city core called Gamla Staden in the southern Swedish city of Malmö. But due to the Coronavirus (covid-19) and the socially distancing initiatives put in place that is no longer possible, instead the empirical material will have to be digital. This study will also only focus on the micro scale to further restrict the scope of the project.

Literature Review

A literature study was carried out in relation to this thesis for the purposes of: - To gain a better understanding of the field of urban environment. - To strengthen the thesis with current accepted theory.

- To gain an understanding if there is a gap in existing literature, locate where the gap is, then try to add theory to said gap.

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The literature review was carried out in the early stages as an evaluation for the existing theory. It is from this process that I managed to gain an understanding into the areas which the current literature covers, and consequently, where more research needed to be done. The sources that were chosen were done so with the purpose of covering theories closest to the area of interest, in this case, human interaction with the urban environment.

The first step was to search out relevant theory to the subject and matter at hand to better grasp the current acknowledged theory. As a start I turned to Jeremy Till’s ​Architecture

Depends​ which theories I was familiar with from previous experiences. Till is a accomplished

architectural theorist and is currently ​Pro Vice-Chancellor of the ​University of the Arts London. Till enabled me to gain a foundation on the subject and from there, narrow down my search field. I also picked up Herman Hertzberger’s​ Lessons for Students in Architecture early because this book holds a wide variety of theory and thoughts regarding Architecture and public space from a well established name who has made notable contributions as an; architectural theorist, educator, and is also an influential Dutch architect.

It was from Hertzberger’s observations that I started to focus on architecture that challenged and explored the idea of function. A previous teachers PHD dissertation was Jesper

Magnussons’ ​Clustering Architectures: The Role of Materialities for Emerging Collectives in

the Public Domain ​which I knew to be of relevance to the subject that I was focusing on.

With these books as an origin for my litterature I soon expanded into other well established bodys of knowledge such as Jan Gehl’s ​Life Between Buildings ​because of his unique way of incorporating the humane dimension into architecture and city analysis. I also used Zygmunt Bauman's books named ​Wasted Lives: Modernity and Its Outcasts,​ and ​The Individualized

society​ respectively because of their way of explaining sociology and its symbiotic

relationship with the built environment. It was from these books that my theory originated. While reading the theory i observed repeatedly that it lacked content on the areas regarding multifaceted use cases. Hertzberger definitely came the closest when he explored public architecture in the chapter Inviting Form but there is no mention of a specific archetype or

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category of architecture throughout any of the literature works that i read that explores this type of archetype. Gehl’s theories and concepts in Life Between Buildings which focuses on urban environments are well accepted in the field which meant they served as good

foundations to take inspiration and base the theory in this thesis on. Zygmunt Bauman who is a sociologist was an interesting addition because this meant that the views and theories of sociology was also accounted for, which helped broaden the views out from only that of the views of architects. Gehl’s work was co-created by his wife, who is also a sociologist; this joint project turned out to be, in a way, proof of concept that the theories of sociology and architecture overlap within the same regions of theory. Implementing the theories of Bauman and getting more of the field of sociology allowed me to gain the insight into a deeper

human-oriented perspective. What Bauman gave that the others didn't was an insight into human behaviour that the theories of traditional architecture often glace over. Further

research on the subject should be done with even more help from sociology as it proved to be a very insightful perspective which complements the literature of architecture.

While a lot of the theory seems to hint towards multifaceted architecture the subject is only glanced over very quickly and not much consideration is taken to expand the ideas behind it into something more unified. The focus in literature on Urban Environment has instead been on human interaction of the urban environment as a whole, where certain concepts are established. But from my literature searching no established concept encapsulates that of the multifaceted. This is the mission of this thesis, to try and build the base for the concept of multifaceted architecture.

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Theoretical Background

“The art of architecture is not only to make beautiful things - nor is it only to make useful things, it is to do both at once - like a tailor who makes clothes that both look good and fit well. And if possible, clothes that everyone can wear, not just the Emperor. (Hertzberger 2016; 174).

In recent times the quest for more sustainable urban environments has been a hot topic and the focus of many studies. Whereas the focus usually falls either on the theoretical or abstract approach, more studies need to be made where the focus are social aspects, and activation. Where activation is the activity that leads to the activation of a space. This thesis looks at architecture with a multifaceted nature, and like Hertzberger and Gehl I believe that orienting architecture in such a way that it serves multiple use cases is needed in our urban

environment in order to create an accessible and activated social space. The main theory used in this paper is in its essence the foundation for all the theoretical frameworks that are used in this essay. It is from these bodies of theory that I built my knowledge of urban environments, and in turn, developed the foundation for the concept of Multifaceted architecture.

The theoretical basis is centered around three main notions adopted and popularised most noticeably by Jeremy Till, Jan Gehl, and Herman Hertzberger. Firstly, i would like to introduce Till, which was my first encounter with the theoretical approach of contingency, I would consider Till’s theories to be on a high abstract level, as a weave through architecture in its entirety. It is through the view of Contingency against Autonomy that I will approach all of the research conducted. It is with the help of those thoughts and theories that I

formulated the ideas that eventually ended up as “multifaceted architecture”. To compliment Till and to add theory that is more concrete and bases itself in the “real world” as it were, I use Gehl's method called behavioural mapping. The method is developed in Life between Buildings (Gehl, 2011) to categorize different types of activities in the urban environment and to observe architecture for the tiers of social functions and interactions it creates, instead of its aesthetic value. “Jan Gehl and his wife, psychologist Ingrid Gehl, completed studies in which they registered what people do in public urban spaces, and where and how they do it.

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The method came to be known as ‘behavioural mapping’.” (Magnusson, 2016;16). It is because of their analysis of basic human interaction with the environment such as sitting, standing and walking that I used Gehl as a core theoretical foundation to support my own study on some of the same categories. The last person that is at this core is Hertzberger. In his chapter ‘Inviting Form’ from the book ‘Lessons for Students in Architecture’ Hertzberger explores a lot of theories similar to that of Gehl and Till combined. He can be seen as a conduit of sorts between the abstract theories of Till and the sociologist approach of Gehl. It is his methods for analysis constructed in ‘Lessons for students in Architecture’ that I will use to aid my own analysis work. A notable addition is Jesper Magnusson’ dissertation

‘Clustering Architectures: The Role of Materialities for Emerging Collectives in the Public Domain’ (Magnusson, 2016) that is based on the Actor-network-theory (ANT for short) developed by most noticeably, Bruno Latour. While I might not consider him to be core theory for this thesis - because ANT was not the approach for this thesis. But the way Magnusson analyses architecture and the way he uses complimentary pictures in his work to highlight the environment, was an inspiration and to some extent, a foundation to how I approached working with pictures in an analytical and a reflective way.

Contingency

Architecture depends (Till, 2009) is a book that laid the foundation to how this paper will approach architecture, not as a sole material knowledge, but as a combination of material and a spatial knowledge that results in better social environments. Till’s work on contingency is also going to be a very core concept to this essay and is in many ways one of the most important keywords that envelops the approach that this essay takes. So what is this

Contingency I hear you ask? Contingency is, put simply, a fundamental idea about how one can or should interpret architecture. This is an approach to architecture that I embrace

wholeheartedly, and is nested into this thesis in many ways. In Architecture depends Till uses a quote from William Ransch that summarizes contingency in a simple way “Contingency is, quite simply, the fact that things could be otherwise than they are” (Till on Ransch. 2009;45). While this summarizes contingency as a whole it neglects the details that Till argues and explores throughout Architecture Depends. While it will be impossible to capture the whole

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extent of the book Architecture depends within a paragraph, what Till means with

Contingency, put crudely, is to approach architecture with space for life. Life beyond what the architect imagines will in ways, open up a dimension of living that is not, and could not be planned for. Contingency is therefore a very fundamental part of Multifaceted

Architecture, since a very key aspect of the theory is to elicit some sort of buffer zone where life can exist.

Behavioural Mapping

Life between buildings, (Gehl, 2011) is considered by many to be one of the founding

theoretical bodies for urban environment and the life between buildings. It asks questions that relate to how we approach city planning and how to better tailor our cities to better fit

humans, approaching it mainly from the perspective of sociology and a psychology. In its essence Gehl explores the ideas of activities and their tiers of necessity throughout the book but he also explores other concepts such as sitting, social distances and topics alike. Gehl's ideas, analysis, and theoretical framework of the city is a part of the foundation for this thesis. Gehl’s way to approach the social life and events is through dividing outdoor activities into three different types of categories; Necessary activities, Optional activities, and Social activities. They open up a new way to analyse the city through a lens less reminiscent of a “grand theory of everything” one. Although he himself admits it to be “Greatly simplified” it is a model that encapsulates all types of outdoor activities that works, in an albeit crude way. The activities can be classified as listed below:

Necessary activities.

All the activities that are required by those involved can be deemed necessary. Everything from walking to the store, waiting on the bus or going to the school, all errands and work related activities that are more or less mandatory fits into this category. No matter the environmental quality these activities will occur to some degree.

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Optional activities.

This category is for all activities that are not of a necessary nature, examples are things like sitting down and enjoying the weather, going out for a run or walk, or “standing around enjoying life”. “These activities take place only when exterior conditions are favourable, when weather and place invite them.” (Gehl, 2011;11). Gehl says that this category is highly connected to the quality of planning since the majority of the optional activities are dependent on the physical planning.

Social activities.

Lastly we have the social activities, this category focuses on the level of activation. This category is dependent on the former categories, and is in its own right, an emergent property of the frequency of the optional activities occurrence. “Social activities include children at play, greetings and conversations, communal activities of various kinds, and finally - as the most widespread social activities - passive contacts, that is, simply seeing and hearing other people” (Gehl, 2011;12).

According to Gehl we cannot directly influence social activities. It is only by changing the frequency of occurrence of Optional activities that we can influence the social. It is this category this thesis will focus on and is where the quality of the public space shows the most since according to Gehl's observations “When outdoor areas are of high quality, necessary activities takes place with approximately the same frequency - though they tend to take longer time” (Gehl, 2011;11). But when the outdoor areas are of high quality the increase of optional activities see a much more drastic difference. To create Optional activities inviting architecture is the key, and a contingent approach of this will result in a more including space.

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Making Sense of Urban Space

Lessons for Students in Architecture (Hertzberger, 2011) is a book that explores a wide variety of topics regarding architecture (like the title suggests). The chapter of interest from Hertzberger is chapter C, called “Inviting Form”. Here Hertzberger explores many aspects reminiscent of the work by Gehl, Hertzberger also explores a lot of design that I consider multifaceted architecture, it is here where my interest for the topic “multifaceted” grew. Where Gehl and Hertzberger differ is when we look at their perspectives and scopes. Where Gehl often looks at the larger perspective and explores a lot of the sociology behind the urban environment, Hertzberger has a perspective that is much closer to the macro scale looking at individual pieces of architecture. Through those unique examples Hertzberger analyzes and seeks out common patterns. This results in concepts and theory created from real world observation and reflection, and is then not emergent from abstract theory that has no basis in the real world.

Clustering architectures (Magnusson, 2016) is the study of the urban environment where the focus is on how materiality affects public social life. The main section revolves around empirical studies mainly originating from London, Paris, and Amsterdam. The mission of the thesis is to find out why some topologies and layouts results in more activation than others. Magnusson uses the term “Anchors” throughout his thesis and it can be summarized as “artefacts, or clusters of artefacts, that repeatedly seem to attract and gather humans and additional artefacts” (Magnusson, 2016;256). Based of his observations, Magnusson deduced that “Most anchors are polyvalent clustering machines that collect other artefacts and

humans”. (Magnusson, 2016;256). We can then make the deduction that architecture that is multifaceted in nature has a higher chance of having social activations, and as Magnusson puts it, gather humans. This thesis will take use of this knowledge and while it is not referring to the term “Anchors” directly, it will take use of the knowledge that polyvalent spaces seems to be connected to the anchor theory, and adopt into the broader theory of Multifaceted architecture.

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Micro Architecture

“So how can designers be more effective? The answer is paying attention to the micro-details while serving the larger purpose of les republica” (Fitzpatrick. 2019;71).

The topics where i found that more research was necessary, Herzbergers chapter “Inviting Form” from Lessons for Students in Architecture does address them briefly. While he does not categorize or name the phenomena multifaceted architecture, Hertzberger seems to point towards a type of architecture that invites more than one function. The phenomena that i refer to as Multifaceted architecture Hertzberger sees as an emergent property from certain

architecture that challenges its core function and asks the question “Can I be more?”.

This is where this thesis comes in, How can we design to achieve Multifaceted architecture? By addressing and categorizing the phenomena we can at least begin to discuss and analyze already existing architecture and archetypes to better understand and how to utilize

architecture in the urban environment in a more diverse way. The importance of public spaces will only rise as our cities grows, and as Fisher states “Public space may, in the end, be the ultimate barometer of our civilization, the gauge against which we can measure whether we are a country or just a collection of individuals living in fear of one another” (Fisher, 2005; 82).

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Polyvalent Cities

“Something happens because something happens because something happens” - (Gehl. 2011;75).

In his studies on city life, Jan Gehl observed that areas with “twice the amount of children, a four times higher level of play activity was found.” (Gehl. 2011;75). What we can take away from this observation is that there is, in a way, a feedback loop happening once activities occur in a given place. With this in mind we can understand the impact that the originally small activations in the beginning have an exponential effect on the overall area. This effect however works both ways, as Gehl discusses. So the argument that “something happens because something happens…” can also be “nothing happens because nothing happens…”. This helps us to understand the reasons why some cases, where we observe less attractive environments in spaces that we should expect to see activated. I would then argue that encouraging a wide variety of activities in a place would then be a good base from which a successful feedback loop, like the one Gehl is describing, can be achieved. Activations and in turn, interaction with the urban environment is then what is needed and by activations and interaction i mean architecture that invites usage, this is explored in further detail in the chapter Inviting Architecture.

In a TED talk Peter Calthorpe talked about the future city building and how “We are going to build cities for three billion people. That's a doubling of the urban environment. If we don't get that right, i'm not sure all of the climate solutions in the world will save

mankind”(Calthorpe. 2017). What Calthorpe means by this is that the cities we build shapes not just the climate, but also our “social well-being, economical vitality, our sense of

community and connectedness”. The fact that a city embodies more than simply a static visual product and is, as Calthorpe says “a manifestation of the kind of humanity we bring to bear”.

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The importance of the cities then becomes clear. To build better cities is to build towards a better future, and the more we activate our urban environment the more we get in return. Currently this work towards a mixed community cannot be seen happening to the extent that we like, and as Minton said about our post-modern cities “As a stereotype, this city is

characterised by growing polarisation and inequality between social groups, with soaring wealth for those working in the high earning finance and IT sectors, in contrast with the millions on sickness benefit and the growing numbers of homeless.” (Minton. 2006;5).

What is needed then is a city that has a mixed nature and one that is not segregated. To achieve this, Multifaceted steps must be taken in order to account for more than one group of people in any given space, which is usually the case. “Life between buildings is not merely pedestrian traffic or recreational or social activities. Life between buildings comprises the entire spectrum of activities, which combine to make communal spaces in cities and residential areas meaningful and attractive” (Gehl. 2011;14).

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Building a Theory on Appropriate Architecture

This chapter will tackle the main questions surrounding the classification, What is

Multifaceted architecture? Where do we see it in our current urban environment? And finally, Why do we observe it? The goal is to develop the idea into a concept that is more tangible, which in turn will be applied on real world situations to analyse different representations of Multifaceted architecture.

Hertzberger puts it nicely when he says “Irregularities such as differences in level occur everywhere, and instead of going to great lengths to minimize them we should rather concentrate on trying to form them so consciously that they can be maximally exploited” (Hertzberger. 2016;177). What he means is that we shouldn’t try to proactively remove all the spaces where public life and activities can flourish. This is something that we can see

happening a lot in today's modern cities. The urge to plan in what Till calls an Autonomous way instead of a Contingent way that results in an environment that doesn't fit activities and uses outside of the realm that the architect didn't intend for.

“The key ethical responsibility of the architect lies not in the refinement of the object as a static visual product, but as a contributor to the creation of empowering spatial, and hence social, relationships in the name of others” (Till. 2009;178).

Instead we should focus on finding and exploiting the spaces where activities outside of the intended use can happen. How we could approach this, is to embrace Contingency instead of fearing the uncontrollable and the unprogrammable, and as architects don't give in to the illusion of total control, and instead surrender to the chaos. Bauman also questions this specificity of function and asks if it holds any value, “Chaos is the order’s alter ego, an order with a negative sign: a condition in which something is not in its proper place and does not perform its proper function (if, that is, a place and a function proper for it are at all

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By now my view on Multifaceted architecture should be pretty obvious, so now is probably a good time to explain why. To understand why we have to look no further than the old

building for architecture students in Kungliga tekniska Högskolan (KTH) in Stockholm, Sweden. Being considered by locals as one of the ugliest buildings in Stockholm (which is ironic when it's function is considered), it was also the “winner” of the swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladets competition called “Stockholms ugliest building” 2013 (Lindberg. 2013). The point in this case, though, is not to look at esthetics, but to look at the buildings´ language. The former KTH building has a very defined language, a wall is a wall and so on. What this building illustrates is architecture where the architect did not embrace the openness of contingency and instead ended up with a building that is sterile and a lack for a better word, introverted. While the building had some initial constraints that required work arounds, such as the subway connection point underneath. This required the building to elevate the ground floor in order to utilize the space necessary. The plan was also to have the facades covered in greenery but this was not successful because people were letting their dogs use the plant beds so the plants did not survive. These constraints might have been obstacles in the design process and should be taken into account when analysing the building. Considering how these design challenges were solved, it doesn’t seem like any account for multifaceted use-cases were taken into consideration.

The result of this (as the picture illustrates) is that there is no place for humans to exist in the in-between spaces of the building and the street. “The rapid obsolescence of all too specific solutions leads not only to dysfunctionality but also to serious inefficiency” (Magnusson. 2016;146). The only activities that are allowed here are the ones the architect deemed necessary, getting from point A to B, and parking the bicycle.

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Picture of the old KTH Architecture school building that shows the plain facades that gives a defensive impression and can be interpreted as un-welcoming. Building designed by Gunnar Henriksson 1967.

The south boulevard in Copenhagen, Denmark designed by SLA is a project that focuses on incorporating public opinions and ideas, especially the people living in the buildings close by. They started the project by hosting a series of workshops that the public could participate in. With these workshops they gathered public opinions and ideas of what people would like the space to be. What they ended up with was a public garden of sorts where the city life can flourish in a space where everyone is welcome. With the opening of the newly renovated space, the South boulevard went from being a desolate place to one of Copenhagen's most active urban spaces in a very short timespan. While it differs from the above example in the sense that it is not a building per say, it is a public space, which is similar to the nature of the old KTH building, especially the outside portion.

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Picture showing a portion of the Sønder Boulevard, Denmark. Designed by SLA Architects.

These are a few great examples that illustrate the importance of multifaceted architecture in the public space. What we can learn from the south boulevard in Copenhagen is that a space doesn’t already need to be an active one. Having a contingent oriented mindset when

approaching architecture and design is the basis for a successful public space. “spaces even take on a life of their own that can leave them unrecognisable when compared against what was originally intended by those who created them. This process may take many years or decades, and may be cyclical. In London, the garden squares began as glorified parking courts, and mutated into private gardens for the rich, and then (at least some) became public parks.” (Carmona. 2015;394).

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Introverted Architecture.

In this section we take a look at architecture that instead of encouraging multifaceted design, seeks methods to prevent it and control the environment. A example can be seen from Dutch railways, when they used steel rods on what was formerly public seating to deter people from using them. “the adjustment was a part of Dutch railways own campaign against litter and defacement” (Hertzberger. 2016; 181) and this in-turn was a part of a commitment to maintain well-designed and clean public spaces. How they went about solving this issue is somewhat twisted, since their intended result was to improve the quality of public space. But their solution to this conundrum was to remove functions that are, in this case, of importance to the space in question. So their solution was, in short, to remove humans to improve the quality for a space intended for human use.

Architecture that is constructed with only one function in mind, is also architecture that is only designed with the present in mind, since there is no space for the future.

“Just think of the parking garages with sloping floors, which are still being built on a large scale. This may well be an inexpensive and easy to construct system, but you can never use the building for anything else, if things change - in a period when far fewer people own cars, for instance.” (Hertzberger. 2016;146). This idea is very much in line with the mindset of contingency and to quote Zygmunt Bauman “Where there is design, there is waste” (Bauman. 2004;30). While this is true for all architecture, i would argue that buildings that do not have the space for adapting to the future fail sooner than architecture that have the space to adapt. Multifaceted architecture is then a way to embrace change and to succumb to the realisation that we are not in control and any attempt on autonomy always fails when change occurs. Fisher even argues that these boundaries between people and activities could be a reason why many people fear the public space:

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“Politicians and planners have long depended upon boundaries and edges to separate people and thus reduce conflict — a substitution of distance for discourse that has reached a point where people rarely encounter anyone or anything by chance

anymore. As a result, many people fear real public space because they lack experience with it”. (Fisher. 2005;81).

While this is a very grim realisation it feels like it's time to look at the opposite of the Introverted. or as Grillner, current head of the School of Architecture in Stockholm put it: “One seem to have forgotten the essential democratic value of maintaining free and tolerant places wherein every citizen regardless of background and appearance could eventually face each other. Instead the city focuses on “tidying up“ (creating “pleasant“ places for “normal“ people)” (Grillner 2004;3). An approach where we can work towards building an

environment for a society not frightened by the public space, but an environment where society can feel welcomed and invited into the environment. “Archetypically, the public is by definition what is open and visible to everyone, as opposed to the private, which is restricted, concealed and protected.” (​Brighenti​. 2010;12)

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Inviting Architecture

Now that we have looked at Introverted architecture it’s time to take a look at architecture that does not deter its users, but instead invites and challenges function. Architecture that is Inviting, is architecture that is Contingent in nature and as mentioned above, seeks to invite and challenge function of the given space. The basis for this concept is as Grillner puts it; “Working from the conviction that architectural interventions can act as catalysts for social change and in time rewrite the geography of the city” (Grillner, 2004;4).

Looking at the studies carried out by Hertzberger we can see many examples of multifaceted architecture that is designed intentionally, one example is De Evenaar primary school in Amsterdam which was designed by Hertzberger himself, where indents on the railings were made. These indents created a seating area and a semi-private space of sorts.

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Bernini's square, st.peters

Bernini's design of the St. Peter’s square in Rome is an early example of multifaceted design. Image is from the book Lessons for Students in Architecture.

The massive colonnades stretching around the entrance were supposed to “embrace” the church much like two open arms, as stated by Bernini himself: “the maternal arms of Mother Church”. Apart from its grandiose design and its mathematical beauty the columns are also made with a giant base that extrudes outwards. This forms a space that works very well as

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another form of informal seating. If this was an intentional design feature or just a “happy accident” is a topic for another discussion. “Columns today seldom have an either a

separately defined base or the traditional capital of the columns of the classical orders. They simply disappear into the floor. But there are situations where a widened section of the column just above the floor offers interesting extra advantages.” (Hertzberger. 2016; 184). What Hertzberger is saying here is that we can use the design of the classical pillar in a way that was, perhaps, not intended (or maybe it was?). Since it protects our back, it has the aspect that supports the edge effect that Gehl was talking about, and was explored earlier in this paper.

Architecture like Evenaar, Sønder Boulevard, and St. Peter's Square are good examples because they show how spaces can explore and in turn, invite new functionality. It is challenging the fundamental idea of what a railing is and what it can be. Creating these spaces is a way for the urban environment to fit a wider variety of people and in turn, creates a more active urban space.

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Findings

With the categorization of Introverted and Inviting architecture set, the empirical data will be analyzed based from these perspectives. These perspectives provide a way to view the

architecture from a binary sort of way (either it is Inviting, or it isn’t). The goal of the findings chapter is then to apply this way of looking at architecture onto the actual case studies to see the ​modus operandi​ of multifaceted architecture, and to try to look at what value it brings in terms of activity. The issue with the latter is that a lot of variables affect activity and activation, in an ideal scientific world we would try and eliminate as many variables as possible. This is of course hard if not impossible to do in the topic of urban environment. This is because the nature of studying the urban environment is to study many variables in a collective space. The very meaning of the word urban comes from the latin word urbanus which means sophisticated, and the word environment comes from the French word environ which translates to surrounding. Combined they roughly translate to

sophisticated surroundings which resonates with today's meaning of the words urban

environment and gives us an understanding into why analysing it can sometimes be difficult. The section below will look at all the places explored within Malmö city, gamla staden. and the next section titled Pilot Case Studies will look at all the pilot studies that was done as pre-case studies early in the project to try the theories, therefore these places are locations that comes from the literature, primarily Hertzberger’s own observations.

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Malmö

Stortorget

Picture of people sitting around the Karl X Gustav Statue in Stortorget.

In the center of the so-called Stortorget in Gamla staden, Malmö we find a giant statue of Karl X Gustav. In the summer times this statue becomes a very attractive space for people living in the city and to pedestrians to take a break and enjoy the sun. The space invites people not just to admire the statue, but to sit down and relax at the base of the statue. In many ways it is similar to the concept of the columns of St.peter's square that was seen under Pilot Case Studies section. Being centered around an object to protect once back is

comforting and gives a certain impression of safety (previously referred to as the “edge effect”). An interesting phenomena that was seen is that people sat on the outer edges of the statue's base instead of the top, at first sight this seems normal, in the end, why wouldn't they? As can be seen from the image the outer edges are not accompanied by anything to support the back to get the safety that we desire, even if we clearly see that there are vacant spots at the more desirable and protected “top spot”. Another thing that can be seen is the fact that people do not seem to use the staircase facing the direction of which the picture is taken as much as the other sides. This piece of architecture seems like a clear candidate for Inviting

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architecture as it does not deter users, on the contrary, it invites users quite effectively, especially on a warm and sunny day as seen in the picture below.

Floor plan of Stortorget in scale 1:800. The Statue can be seen in the center of the image. Image provided by Google Maps Services.

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Lilla torg

Pictures of evenly spaced benches in Lilla torg.

While it is easy to grasp things in terms of binary options, reality is rarely that simple. While a place can be attractive in some settings, this can sometimes change depending on the

situation. As we can see from these pictures in normal circumstances the benches are not very attractive as they provide neither a wall to protect their back, nor a shadow to protect from the sun. But as soon as there is a shadow to create shelter they become a conspicuous place that is to be preferred over the benches that are out and exposed without shelter, which can be seen in the background. Gehl says that this concept of placing benches without any thought for the environment is a waste “As a general rule it is only the manufacturers of benches who benefit when benches are liberally, but randomly spread out in public spaces” (Gehl.

2011;157).

At first glance it might seem obvious to place this as an example under the Introverted category but rather, since the benches are obviously placed there to invite into the space i would instead argue that it is Inviting (although arguably done poorly). But in certain scenarios such as the second picture on the left the environment's quality holds because a third party intervention is added to the space which, in turn, activates the benches. But when looking at it through the perspective of - Multifaceted Inviting Architecture - it

becomes even more murky. It is however worth to note that this is historical photos and Lilla torg doesn’t look like this anymore due to restaurants expanding their outdoor seatings.

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Floor plan of Lilla Torg in scale 1:800. The benches in question no longer exists, instead the space is occupied by outdoor seating (the north island of sunshades is where they initially existed). Image provided by Google Maps Services.

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Gustav Adolfs Torg

Picture of people using one of the fountains on Gustav Adolfs Torg as seating.

Entering the square a series of fountains can be seen along the main walkway. The sloping ground seems to be adjusted after the fact that the fountains were installed, which means that the height of the surrounding ring of the fountain varies slightly. The ring itself can be used as a space for sitting or as a relief surface, and because of this variation in height the ring around the fountains can accomplish a higher level of accessibility and comfort. What i mean with this, is that people of different heights have a chance to find a more comfortable seating since there are many options presented to the user which is resultant of the sloping ground. Fountains as a general element of the urban environments are in general great anchors because of the informal seating they provide. Furthermore the placement related to the space itself is also interesting, just like Stortorget it is placed beside one of the most active

walkways which provides a steady flow of pedestrians to activate the fountains. When we look at the deep perimeter of the fountain, it seems that they were made for sitting, this place is clearly Inviting and has a Multifaceted nature attached to it.

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Floor Plan of Gustav Adolfs Torg in scale 1:800. The five fountains in question can be seen on the east side. Image provided by Google Maps services.

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Södra Vallgatan

Picture of Södra Vallgatan showing people sitting on the stairs that leads down to the canal.

The stairs adjacent to the Södra Vallgatan are located close to the border of what is classified as Gamla Staden in Malmö. The stairs are a very attractive space especially in the summer for the people of Malmö. As the Image suggests, the people are using the stairs mostly for just enjoying the sun and the angle of the steps is perfectly made so that you can lay down on the stairs as well as sit there. To the right of the stairs the main pedestrian street through Malmö is situated which provides a steady stream of people to the space. The space also serves as docking for the pedalos (Boats driven by human pedaling), regular boats can also be observed docking here. Another thing that can be observed is fishermen using the platform for fishing. While neither can be seen in the picture above, this has been observed by myself on location on several occasions prior to this thesis. While this information suggests a multifaceted use case where multiple functions is achieved within the same piece of architecture. It also helps to highlight that the sophistication of any given design doesn’t have to be high, for a

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successful activation. However in this scenario, the success is somewhat dependent on the context on which it is placed, since if there were no people wanting to use the pedalos, or if there were no people using the nearby street to attract people into taking a break or

sunbathing on the stairs. If neither of these things were happening, it could be assumed that the place would not be activated to the degree we see today.

Floor Plan of Södra Vallgatan in scale 1:800. Image provided by Google Maps services.

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Per Weijersgatan

Picture of Åhlens city (store) building on the left on Per Weijersgatan. Picture provided by Google Maps Services.

Per Weijersgatan is an ally connected to Södergatan which is a part of the main pedestrian route through Gamla Staden. While the right side is accompanied by some restaurants and their outdoor seatings, the left side seems to be forgotten and give the impression of a lack of activation and purpose (other than it being a wall of course). We can see some bicycle stands that are full, and the overflow of bicycles just left standing next to the empty wall. The only windows seen on the human height are blacked out, to call them windows almost feels wrong. Like the old KTH building explored previously this building has a very introverted design, a clear contrast can be seen between the left and the right side of the street. To the left outside of the field of vision we would find the loading platforms for the store that is

currently utilizing the building, a result of this is that many trucks are usually seen parked here, a truck can be seen leaving in the picture located in the center.

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Discussion

The results from the reflections that were applied on the locations in Malmö suggest that Multifaceted architecture is a valid categorisation based on the fact that a distinction can be made. This chapter explores the questions raised in the context of the results from Malmö and tries to understand what the answers means, to some extent. With the two main design

problems that were formulated at the start reiterated for the reader's convenience;

- How does Multifaceted architecture help to create more sustainable urban environments?

- What role does Multifaceted architecture have in today's modern city?

These questions will be the basis for the path the discussion section will take, and they will help us to understand what the results mean. First the chapter will discuss how the

categorizations of Introverted and Inviting architecture worked. Furthermore the implications, Limitations, and finally, the Recommendations for further studies will be discussed before a section to summarize the thesis.

The first major part of the question: “How does Multifaceted architecture help to create more sustainable urban environments?” can be summarized as such; spaces that were more socially activated tended to have a multifaceted element woven into the space. From what could be seen in the pictures all the attractive spaces that were used in the case studies there was room for a diverse selection of activities and/or humans at different scales (see Storgatan and Gustav Adolfs Torg). On the opposite side of the spectrum, the spaces that did not attract any activation did not successfully incorporate any multifaceted elements.

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Formulating a Theory

During the reflective process of the pictures, the archetype of Multifaceted architecture was ever present throughout, a lot of varieties could also be seen within this category. What the pictures from the findings then helped to highlight is that multifaceted architecture exists in Malmö, Gamla Staden. The pilot case-studies also suggests that multifaceted architecture is also a frequent occurrence elsewhere. As stated earlier, a pattern emerged that also suggested that the attractive places had a multifaceted nature to them. This could imply that just the sheer effect of seeing other activities happening helps to activate the space. Given, of course, that there is room for it. This would tie into what Gehl was talking about in Life Between Buildings concerning the concept of feedback activity-loops, which was explored in an earlier chapter.

In the case of Stortorget there was an interesting aspect of Gehl's theory that the users of the space didn’t seem to abide by. The idea that people prefer the edges over sitting with their backs unprotected and exposed doesn’t seem to be the case in this instance. While some users can be seen using the statue as cover a bigger majority can be seen using the outer edges. The reason for this might be one of several, for example it might be because of the fact that people are already cluttering up the stairs so the spot requires too much effort to reach. Another reason might perhaps be that it is the “swedish model”, where the distance between people is moderated under strict norms which “forces” people to not claim the more

favourable spot. This can also be seen on Södra vallgatan where the walls of the water conduits going down to the canal are not used as cover which Gehl would tell us should occur. Why we don’t see this happening tells us that there are other variables that affect said decision and the priority of the edge effect should probably be explored further.

What is important here is the fact that the urban environment should not and cannot be controlled to the extent that involves autonomy. Instead it should be approached with a contingent mindset that leaves room for the diversity of humans to indulge in more, not less of their activities. The results also hint towards simplistic methods to achieve this activation, like the statue on Stortorget or the fountains of Gustav Adolf. However, more research on

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more spaces is necessary to further establish the different types of methods on which spaces achieve a multifaceted nature. Ideally this would be more deeply covered in the intended ethnographic study that was planned to accompany this thesis, but I digress.

Differentiating the Archetypes

When applying the categorizations of Introverted and Inviting Architecture to the situations analyzed, there were no immediate restrictions that arose. What was observed however is that certain spaces that were Introverted on most occasions but could sometimes be observed to be Inviting (see Lilla Torg). Based on the previously explored distinction between the two categories and how they affect the environment in different ways. It would seem that Inviting architecture can be achieved in most locations in the city at smaller scales. However for it to succeed at a bigger activation a catalyst in the space is necessary. This catalyst could be a well trafficked pedestrian space (Stortorget being a good example) or just something to attract users to the area in general. This ties into what Gehl was talking about with the

activation feedback loops mentioned earlier. Introverted architecture on the other hand has no direct social criteria woven into it, and can therefore be seen on a wider range of scales. What was seen was that spaces that had an Introverted aspect were usually back alleys, this

highlights useful use cases for Introverted architecture. Since it is easy to stamp Introverted architecture as something that is unwanted and that should be avoided. Instead I suggest that the use of Introverted architecture is not to be forgotten totally, instead it should be used on locations where utility and the optimization of traffic is deemed a higher priority. Examples could be; loading docks, The entrances of parking houses, emergency buildings, and the list goes on.

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Final Remarks

By adding this new perspective to our ever growing toolbelt of analytical tools for the urban environment, we can better analyze our existing public environments to understand why they work the way they do. This new way of approaching the subject also has significant value for the building of future public spaces or urban environments, since it can help us as architects and planners to better predict the outcome of our design decisions. More in depth studies on currently existing urban environment are needed to further explore the idea, especially since a ethnographic study was not a possibility during the making of this thesis. With more research I believe the pattern of where multifaceted architecture occurs will become even clearer. It also seems likely that we can expect the discovery of new contexts where multifaceted exists and where it can be applied if more research is carried out on a wider cultural scope where more archetypes of cities are properly analysed. With the methods described on how to differentiate and how to make the distinction on the different types there is a clear framework on how to apply the theory of Multifaceted architecture in a broader context. This possibility allows for further research to be carried out on a wide variety of situations. The methods used should also be able to function as a basis for projects outside of the digital analytical

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References

Bauman, Z. (2004). Wasted Lives: Modernity and Its Outcasts. Cambridge: Polity Press.

Bauman, Z. (2001). The Individualized society. Cambridge: Polity Press.

Brighenti, A (2010): ​The Publicness of Public Space. On the Public Domain. Quaderno 49. Trento University, Faculty of Sociology, Trento.

Calthorpe, P. (2017). 7 Principles for building better cities. TED,

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFjD3NMv6Kw] (Accessed 25/05/2020)

Carmona, M. (2015) Re-theorising contemporary public space: a new narrative and a new normative, Journal of Urbanism: International Research on Placemaking and Urban Sustainability, 8:4, pp. 373-405. (Accessed 20/05/2020).

Fitzpatrick, M. (2019) “For a More Liveable City, It All Comes down to the Micro-Details: W. H. Whyte and the Street Life Project.” ​Building Material, no. 22, pp. 59–84. ​JSTOR,

[www.jstor.org/stable/26816292] (Accessed 24/03/2020).

Fisher, T. (2005). Is Public Space a Public Good? [Dispatches]. ​Places, https://escholarship.org/uc/item/05t264qg. (Accessed 29/04/2020).

Gehl, J. (2011). Life Between Buildings: Using Public Space. Island Press.

Grillner, K. (2004) The textual artefact in research by architectural design. Working Papers in Art and Design 3.

Hertzberger, H. (2016). Lessons for Students in Architecture. nai010 Publishers.

Till, J. (2009). ​Architecture Depends. Cambridge: The MIT Press.

Koch, D. (2015). ​Architecture as Material Discourse: On the spatial formulation of knowledge and

ideals in four library extensions.

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Lindberg. J. (2014) ​Stockholms “fulaste hus” blir kvar. Svenska Dagbladet. [https://www.svd.se/stockholms-fulaste-hus-blir-kvar] (Accessed 03/06/2020).

Magnusson, J. (2016). ​Clustering Architectures: The Role of Materialities for Emerging Collectives in

the Public Domain. (300 ed.). Lund: Institutionen för arkitektur & byggd miljö.

Minton, A. (2006): ​What Kind of World Are We Building? The Privatisation of Public Space. London: RICS.

Vetenskapsrådet CODEX. (2020). ​The humanities and social sciences, [http://www.codex.vr.se/en/forskninghumsam.shtml] (Accessed 06/08/2020).

Pictures

Bengtsson, Anders. 2011. ​Arkitekturskolan, Stockholm.

[https://www.flickr.com/photos/barracuda666/6298100226].​ ​(Accessed 29/03/2020).

Webster, Tony. 2014. ​Sønder Boulevard.

[https://www.flickr.com/photos/diversey/15292154493]. (Accessed 23/05/2020).

Pihlemark, Johan. 2018. ​Picture of the statue of Karl X Gustav. ​Sydsvenskan.

[https://www.sydsvenskan.se/2018-06-22/flytta-in-karl-x-gustav-statyn-pa-museum]. (Accessed 03/05/2020).

Ger van der Vlugt & Jan Derwig. No date Given. ​De Evenaar School, Amsterdam.

[https://www.ahh.nl/index.php/en/projects2/9-onderwijs/112-de-evenaar-school-amsterdam]. (Accessed 31/03/2020).

Pictures of Lilla Torg.​ No name given. No date given. [https://bildarkivet.malmo.se].

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“La citta Vita” (No other name given). 2011. ​View of Södra Vallgatan.

References

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