Fragment of the transformed facade displaying variety of modes of living.

Obscure Social. Transforming post-communist housing typologies

Navn
Magdalena Gauden
Uddannelsesgrad
Kandidat
Fagfelt
Arkitektur
Institut
Arkitektur og Kultur
Program
Political Architecture: Critical Sustainability
År
2026

Situated in Poland, project explores how echos of communism affect modes of living and housing. 

Through an analysis of societal perception, separating programmes and rigid tectonics, the project provides tools for transformation of post-communist housing typologies in Poland. It moves between a situated practice and a paradigmatic realm of country’s scale proliferated blocks of flats, asking if it is possible to lay grounds for communities in post-soviet society rejecting the communal?

INTERESTS

Diagram of project interests: transformation, post-communist housing, cooperative housing, societal perception, demographics.
Diagram of project interests
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Polish societal perception of communist housing then - positive.
Polish societal perception of communist housing now - negative, distanced.
Societal perception then
Societal perception now

PARADIGMATIC

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Map of administrative regions of Poland and factories of one of communist housing typologies
Administrative regions now in relation to the Communist Era and former factories
Paradigmatic: communist housing typology on the map of Poland
Potential for paradigmatic change
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Photo of the housing typology of OWT-67 that projects works with - the exceptional aspect of the project.
Map of Torun. The case study is located on the outskirts of the city.
The exceptional - case study of Bielany
Map of Torun
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Map of Bielany with present demographics represented by elderly and students.
Map of Bielany and urban aspects: design for nuclear families - presence of care and educational facilities, playgrounds with disregard to other aspcets of community building.
Map of Bielany with photos of the playgrounds in the area.
Google Earth view of Bielany.
Map of Bielany and its present demographics
Map of Bielany - nuclear family programmes
Map of Bielany with playgrounds.
Bielany

PROGRAMMATIC

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Current state of home-owner model of housing in post-communist estates.
Proposed transformation - increasing agency of the residents.
Transformed model of housing and living with increased agency of the residents
Map of Bielany showcasing managing firms of the post-communist housing.
Model of housing
Mending with the model of housing
Transformed model of housing
Managing firms in Bielany.

Copyrights: All character cut-outs come from www.skalgubbar.se

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Proposed programme - collage of cafe
Proposed programme - collage of social dining
Proposed programme - collage of bike repair workshop
Proposed programme - collage of recycling space
Proposed programme - collage of gardening of by-block spaces
Proposed programme - collage of music room
Proposed programme - collage of crafts workshops
Proposed programme - collage of social barbecque
Proposed programme - cafe
Proposed programme - social dining
Proposed programme - bike repair workshop
Proposed programme - recycling space
Proposed programme - gardening of by-block spaces
Proposed programme - music room
Proposed programme - crafts workshops
Proposed programme - social barbecque

DESIGN PROPOSAL

Map of Bielany and startegic location of proposed programmes in the blocks of flats allowing for placement in the junctions of pathways and easily visible in the nieghbourhood most important point - by grocery stores and by bus stops where people meet.
Map of Bielany with strategic location of proposed programmes
Axonometry of two twin blocks of flats and strategic location of proposed programmes.
Paradigmatic and exceptional - proposed programmes in post-communist blocks of flats.
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Levels of typology of the pre-fabricated post-communist housing - panels (A), flats (B)
Levels of typology of the pre-fabricated post-communist housing - segments (C), blocks of flats (B)
Typology levels of post-communist housing
Typology levels of post-communist housing 2
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GIF of people movement in typology that had been broken down.
People movement in old typology.
People movement in broken-down typology
People movement in old typology
Plan of the whole block of flats with included transformation proposals - social barbecque, crafts workshop room, music room and joint living room.
Plan of the transformed block of flats
Facade showcasing transformation changes in the flats and the whole of the building.
Facade of the transformed block of flats
Model of former typology
Model of former typology
Model of broken down typology
Model of broken down typology
A collection of hand-made axononteries made in drawing and collage explores structural changes to the typology that unlock opportunities for hosting new programmes. New spaces are full of residents participating in workshops, meetings and daily encounters with each other.
Axonometric drawing and collage of proposed transformation
Close up to the axonometric drawing of new spaces in the building
Crafts, music room, social dining and cooking spaces.
Social barbecque on top of the building in the axonometric drawing close-up.
Social barbecque space.
Cafe/bakery axonometric drawing.
Cafe/bakery.
Winter garden axonometric drawing.
Winter garden joining two apartments together
Paradigmatic maps showcasing how changes to the typology can be implemented to the same former post-communist typology across the whole of Poland.
Pardigmatic map of post-communist typological transformations possible locations.

Det Kongelige Akademi understøtter FN’s verdensmål

Siden 2017 har Det Kongelige Akademi arbejdet med FN’s verdensmål. Det afspejler sig i forskning, undervisning og afgangsprojekter. Dette projekt har forholdt sig til følgende FN-mål