Evelyn Ågren
cand.arch

Flexible Communities

Research Model

National Museum and Arkitektskolen Aarhus, Denmark
Model Maker

An interactive model was developed and fabricated as a discussion device in workshops for the Fleksible Fællesskaber (en: Flexible Communities) research project. A collaboration between the National Museum and Arkitektskolen Aarhus, the project explores the social and spatial elements of communities in social housing units in Denmark. The model serves as a visualization tool in discussions with residents to discover the potential of between spaces in apartments as new areas for interaction and socialization.

“Today, public housing areas face new challenges as well as expectations to maintain and strengthen social and environmental sustainability. Welfare tasks previously managed or carried out by the public sector increasingly involve local communities through decentralised planning, local co-creation, decentralisation and volunteer work.”
https://aarch.dk/en/flexible-communities/

The moveable modules illustrate various methods for opening up spaces and increasing connections between private and public areas. To generate atmosphere in the abstract model, perspective sketches of different rooms in an apartment can be inserted or removed. Small objects add life and a personal touch, referencing the collection of furniture and decorations that often fill hallways and stoops. Residents at workshops are encouraged to test different layouts in the model to exercise creative control over spatial possibilities.