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 functionalism started in southern Europe after world war one and got its breakthrough in Sweden with the Stockholm Exhibition in 1930. Poverty caused many people living in overcrowded conditions which the functionalists wanted to change by using less expensive materials and giving healthier living conditions to the people. The industrialization brought new materials and working methods which made this possible. The Swedish functional style is recognised by its light plaster facing and nearly horizontal roofs. Also the garden design of that time was influenced by the functionalistic ideas. The garden was now introduced as a pleasure garden for not only the rich but for everyone.

?Politiken är ett spel, avskuret från det verkliga livet! Det är för att omskapa politikensinnehåll och metoder som kvinnorna bör engagera sig. Vitsen med den kvinnligarösträtten, dyrt vunnen 1921, är inte att förmera antalet röstsedlar, utan att ändra politikens riktning och för detta måste kvinnorna skolas i medborgarskap?Orden är Elisabeth Tamms i ett radioprogram från 1940 och hon kom attleva hela sitt liv efter dessa ord. Trots att Elisabet Tamm aldrig trodde påpartiväsendet lät hon sig ändå väljas till både kommun och riksdag.