Kristina Hansson

“The hut keeps us awake and in touch with what surrounds us. Whether it is a feeling of danger or sympathy, our consciousness is extended into the outside when we experience it. The hut becomes the body we are”
(Gilles A Tiberghien)

This degree project is about the physical environment at Swedish National Board of Institutional Care (SiS) homes for minors where I examine the relationship between space and control.
My review of prison architecture ‘inside out’ aims to create an interior architecture that works towards a greater experience of autonomy among the young inmates.
One of my methods has been to add a creative framework, inspired by the hut or playhouse. This not only gives the young people an opportunity to influence their physical environment but also gives them an opportunity to express themselves using the space. Another key aspect of this work has been to challenge how one’s own space in a SiS home is formed. Instead of a traditional prison-like design, I’ve looked for a way to arrange the space of the room more from the needs of the person living there and with greater trust in them – without disregarding the need for safety.
The goal was to create a space that mediates and helps the young person to communicate. A room with the agency to start a process of change.