Amid the housing affordability crisis in Sweden, developer Riksbyggen, in collaboration with creative agency BBDO Nordics, developed a concept for micro-housing intended to make the reality of this crisis tangible.
The project, titled 'Visualisation of Reality,' transforms the issue of housing affordability in Sweden into three full-scale micro-apartments. Each one reflects the amount that an average 25-year-old resident can realistically afford in different Swedish cities.
The sizes of these residential units vary: the smallest, located in Stockholm, has an area of only 1.9 square meters. In Gothenburg, it is 3.1 square meters, while in Umeå, a more spacious apartment of 4.5 square meters is offered.
The size calculations were made using the Riksbyggen Square Meter Index, which takes into account factors such as income level, real estate cost, and mortgage lending conditions.
This campaign turns alarming statistics into an interactive experience that visitors can enter. The goal of the project is to translate economic data into habitable space, allowing for an immediate understanding of a complex social problem. Visitors can see how financial pressure not only affects abstract affordability indicators but also radically changes people's living spaces.
Inside each apartment, essential elements, including sleeping areas, seating, kitchen utensils, and storage space, are fitted into extremely limited space. The interiors reference various eras of Swedish architecture, creating a strong contrast between the country's architectural heritage and the increasingly limited opportunities available to the younger generation.