Each country's construction world constitutes its own ecosystem. Builders, users, planners, architects and constructor – among many others – together form a culture. One of the characteristics of the Swedish construction world is an architectural role that is relatively circumspect and which entails less formal responsibility than the architectural role in many other countries. The architect can easily lose influence when construction begins, and a risk can be that houses bear traces of a messy process where profit margins gradually become more important.
Perhaps partly in response to this, there is a growing trend of having projects in-house – where architects themselves secure financing. The association Byggande arkitekter (architects as constructors) was formed in 2015, and since a few years, municipalities have begun to create land allocations that are explicitly aimed at architects who take on client responsibility. Several of the most innovative projects are in Skåne, and this is also the focus of the exhibition. Even within an intricate ecosystem, unimaginable possibilities can be accommodated, and perhaps in-house construction is only one part of the story.
Architects having the construction in-house has given rise to many interesting buildings, but the phenomenon may also say something about what the role of architect should look like. In the exhibition, a number of architects share their thoughts and projects, and in connection with The Architecture Day at Form/Design Center on 1 September, lectures and panel discussions on the future of the architect's role will be offered.
