Competing is a well established work model among SwedishArchitects as well as in the international architect work force.Through this study we set out to get better acquainted with thiswork model in theory and in practice, and to hopefully gainknowledge that will be of use to us and to others working in thefield of architecture.Techniques, materials as well as the artistic expression ofcontemporary architecture is international and today?s Architectsoperate on a global labour market. Architects often commit to workon assignments far away from where they are based. Therefore,to physically visit the site of interest may be time consuming,expensive as well as harmful to the environment. Is it possible fora designer to accomplish relevant proposals on how to develop andimprove a place that he or she has never visited? May there evenbe situations in which the outsiders point of view is preferable?These are questions that we aim to investigate, and we do sothrough participation in an international design competition.

It is sixty years since Sweden's first star-shaped housing estate was built in Gröndal, a suburb of Stockholm. Olle Engkvist, the building contractor, was the driving force behind the residential area and it was designed by Architects Sven Backström and Leif Reinius. The estate comprises detached star-shaped houses suited to a more hilly terrain and terraced star-shaped houses on the flat land. The eight gardens of the terraced houses form the shape of a hexagon. It is these gardens, designed by Sven Hermelin and Per Friberg, which are the main focus of this thesis. The buildings on the estate have recently been renovated and it is now time for the gardens to be restored.

The purpose of this paper is to clarify and understand the difference between Brunius?, Zettervall's and Graebe's valueing of a historical building, the cathedral of Lund. Between 1833 and 1963 the cathedral of Lund went through three larger restorations. The character of the restorations however differs a lot between the three church Architects, Brunius, Zettervall and Graebe. In a time of low interest for the Middle Ages and of many demolitions of churches in the countryside, Brunius stood out as a researcher and an enthusiast of that special time.

Can landscape architecture be seen as an economical asset rather than as a cost? Can well designed outdoor environments affect real estate values? This study investigates the economical value of landscape architecture and its influence on real estate prices. Research results on the relation between landscape architecture and real estate values are here compiled together with a survey made among players on the Swedish real estate market of their attitudes towards the problem. This study shows that the players on the Swedish real estate market often are unaware of the economical effects of landscape architecture pointed out in the compiled research. The study also shows that to use this information in actual projects several steps need to be taken: better knowledge of the problem, more and better compilations of research results, effective channels to spread the compiled information, proper employment and implementation of the knowledge. Extended knowledge of the relation between landscape architecture and real estate values will result in new ways of making money on outdoor environments. This would in turn have consequences for how the real estate business treat outdoor environments and how landscape Architects work. The study is divided into four main questions: 1: Is there a relation between good landscape architecture and real estate prices? 2: What is the view of the players on the real estate market in this matter? 3: Is there more knowledge, research and practical models at hand? 4: What future steps can be taken to broaden the knowledge and apply it to real situations?.

Playsam in Kalmar AB are world famous for their design of the toys they sell. Together with their CEO Carl Zedig the goal was to find a new product for the company.  The process has far from been linear, I started off in one direction, got rejected, turned another way and we finally decided to create a rocking horse in a De Stijl style. At the same time taking consideration of the demands from Playsam and myself.Playsam?s products are archetypes of ordinary objects around us such as the car or the aeroplane. The company mainly produces its toys in wood and the stylized shape together with the blank painted surface has become a hallmark for them.De Stijl, the Dutch art movement containing artists, designers and Architects such as Piet Mondrian, Theo van Doesburg and Gerrit Rietveld.

Abstract This master thesis is a result of the work thas was done for my entry in the international architectural competition Urban spaces and urban life in Ørestad South, that was announced by Ørestadselskabet on the 31st of October 2006. The project work lasted from early November until the deadline on 14th of February. In addition to the proposal that was handed in, the master thesis consists of a number of reflections about the work that was done and design work in general. The proposal is an answer to a not that evident task. One would expect that the assigment was clearly defined in the brief of the competition like this. And so it seems to do but to define the real assignment and join your own aims to it from such an extensive brief can be quite time consuming. Why do Architects participate and what is an architectural competition? How does the brief affect the choices and statements made by the entrants? What is a square? What is the strategy that leads to a convincing concept? The role and use of a concept in the design process.

Mechanical ventilation is the most common type ofventilation in newly constructed office buildings. Therehas been an interest to utilize natural ventilationinstead of mechanical ventilation among Architects andHVAC consultants in recent years. This is due to thesize of mechanical ventilation systems, which arespace consuming. The mechanical ventilation system isalso complex and requires maintenance. Furthermore,the fan uses a considerable amount of energy.

Change is inevitable when software is built and deployed. It?s not particularly problematic to manage change if there is just one system. But in a large global IT organization, with several systems and people who develop, problems may arise. If organizations don?t control change, change will control the organization.

To challenge the competition within the construction business there are requirements ineffectiveness and use of operating computer based programs and work-methods. Thecomputer based programs are continuously improved and can at some point be the start of anew work-method. The work-method of tomorrow can be Building Information Modeling(BIM).This Master of Science Thesis gives an understanding in what BIM is and what therequirements for Sweco Theorells are in a future BIM-use as a consulting-firm. Theunderstanding is presented through a study of theory within the subject. The way of thinkingand acting among different disciplines and individuals within the building process isexplained through an interview study.The term BIM is regularly used.

This thesis was written during the autumn 2007. I wanted to understand the situation of the contemporary architecture in a perspective broader than merely the Swedish. I asked myself what remained of architecture if one would eliminate purely functional, aesthetical and ecological aspects. With help from literature I interviewed theorists in architecture, practitioners and a philosopher to hear their thoughts regarding what architecture can or should be about. The result of the interviews and the literature studies constitute the two initial parts of the thesis.

The thesis aims to be an informative study for landscape Architects and hopes to contributeto an understanding of ways water can be used and managed at sites lacking open, greensurfaces.The title "intelligent water design" should evoke the reader?s thoughts concerning intelligentaspects of water. Text, images and the design proposition give hints about these aspects.In the first part of this thesis, various examples of water design are presented. The chosenexamples are all applicable in urban environments with a high percentage of impervioussurfaces.The second part examines Gjutarplan, an urban square in the centre of Kallhäll, in Järfälla,north of Stockholm. Gjutarplan is first framed in a geographical and historical context.

This master thesis aims to describe and examine Haninge cultural centre, inaugurated in 2002. We study the centre from an organization theory point of view, with focus on the buildings physical appearance. The question we want to answer is to what extent, and if, Haninge cultural centre fulfills the underlying vision, formulated by the municipality of Haninge. Is the centre the symbol of a new era of Haninge and a vivid democracy as it was meant to be? Is there a congruency between the image the building creates and the vision that was formulated by the municipality? We also seek out to see how the cultural centre relates to an older tradition of cultural centres.

Since the beginning of the new millennium the world?s population has increased exponentially fast. The majority of this growth has been accommodated for by urbanization of the developing world. This in turn has lead to a wide spread of informal settlements. Thus, areas of urban slums, that have risen illegally on the marginal lands within and at the periphery of the formal city.

This study investigates the planning process of a university library building. The study s major concern is the cooperation of the main participants in this process: librarians, Architects and representatives of university colleges and universities. First the authors present the readers with an overview of the litterature concerning this subject. Then follows a presentation of the three case studies. The authors have interviewed representatives of the three different occupational groups at three different library-building projects: Malmö University, Halmstad University College and the department of social- and behavioural studies at Lund University.

The purpose of this thesis is to collect knowledge of techniques and materials for planning roofgardens. Gardens built on top of buildings is not a new phenomenon, already in the beginning of the century Architects were experimenting with roofgardens. During the Modern Era roofgardens appeared as a part of the design and worked well together with flat roofs and the ideas of light, air and greenery. Today the most common kind of roofgarden is on a ground-level joist that hides parking or other underground functions. The most important difference between planning a roofgarden and a garden on the ground is the limitation of the load of the roofgarden. Plants, paving-material and equipment must be chosen with this in mind. A light and thin layer of soil demands plants with small needs for water and nutrition.