UMA2: Dwelling Qualities – Exploring spatial qualities in housing architecture
The studio Dwelling Qualities in UMA 2 builds on the skills and knowledge acquired in the first year, introduces new concepts, and adds levels of precision and complexity. During the autumn term, students will design a single dwelling for a group of people, and in the spring, they will work with housing at the scale of the neighbourhood. Proposals will be based on dwelling typologies, which will serve as a tool for exploring spatial configurations and the qualitative aspects of housing architecture, with a focus on user experiences. Students will also work with methods to evaluate the performance of their proposal in relation to the dwelling qualities they have investigated and developed. During the design process, students will integrate basic knowledge of structural principles, building technology, and material properties, with a focus on qualitative aspects. The teaching incorporates current research on housing typologies and dwelling qualities, as well as best practices grounded in the Swedish building regulations.
Context of Investigation
During the autumn, the projects will be situated at the historical garden city of Haga, Umeå. The sites are characterised by their well-defined spatial entities. Students will conduct an analysis to understand the site’s properties and qualities.During the spring, the project will take on a larger spatial scale and address how city neighbourhoods can be stitched together to achieve a spatially and socially integrated city.
Studio Agenda and Methodology
Throughout the year, students train in an array of fundamental architectural methods. The aim of this toolbox is that it can subsequently be applied to any design project. The toolbox consists of theoretical knowledge, analytical tools and methods and methods for developing a design proposal at different resolutions and scales. Throughout the design development process, students will combine hand drawings, physical models, and digital tools and train how and when the different tools are best applied.
Teaching team: Mette Harder (Course Coordinator), Tom Kokins, Ali Onat Turker, Nina Larsson
Latest update: 2026-08-30