To sell or to build: this is the dilemma!

Followed comes a summary of reports and forecasts on recent and future shifts in land prices in Sweden. The text is mainly a translation of the article by Jonas Lindmark Morningstar, specialist at Morningstar. The most appealing point in the article to me was that it reflects best the most dominant approaches in Swedish spatial planning procedures: strict governmental regulation and control over construction rules, sustainable planning and participatory planning. The three aforementioned concepts are evident through importance and strong impacts of legislation, environmental measures and residents’ opinions on predominant planning routines:

New planning regulations (proposition 2009/10:170) will come into force in Sweden in two months from now. One possible effect is an increase in provision of plots for villa construction which will in turn decrease land prices.

Normally, an increase in prices results in an increase in supply. In the case of land lots, however, a different rule governs: supply of land for villa construction in Sweden has fallen 30 percent in 2010 compared with 2008 while there is evidently a high demand. The number of constructed villas in recent two decades has nevertheless decreased to one third compared with the same time period before 1990.

The reason why municipalities are not that willing to assign land for villa are numerous and not without ambiguities: current regulations have made housing development a less profitable and more risky occupation; more strict environmental measures are being taken by authorities; more objections are made to construction permits by neighbors; many land owners hesitate to sell their lots in hope of higher prices – which is in fact a reliable forecast. Even the monthly rent earned after construction is not a sufficiently tempting motive for land owners to construct since land prices increase in a much higher pace than prices of the houses do.

The new planning and construction regulations aim at simplifying and speeding up the process of land assignment for villa construction. Nevertheless, interest rates in Sweden are currently so low that an access in land assignment for villa construction does not necessarily entail an immediate fall in land prices.

Experts from Building Administration (Boverket) and other responsible organizations believe that current situation will be followed by an increase in interest rates and the trend will persist until house prices are reduced down to construction costs. At the time land prices will start falling in a rapid pace just as they had been increasing previously.

Source: http://www.byggahus.se/artiklar/ar-din-tomt-vard-mer-huset

VIP

Vacuum insulation is an appropriate alternative for more energy-efficient buildings. This method is based on exterior insulation which has plenty of advantages over inside insulation: cold bridges and interstitial condensation are avoided and internal walls are retained as heat-sinks.

VIP (Vacuum Insulation Panel) is an efficient example compared with other available options (EPS-Expanded Polystyren, XPS-Extruded Polysyren, stonewool, fiberglass, Phnolic foam, PUR-Polyurethane,...). The isolation consists of light metal formable heat-sealed panels which are filled with nanoporous material. This inner filler comprises of fumed silica or a combination of superfined fibreglass and phenomic foam.

VIP has a very high insulation capacity. The vacuum inside highly lessens the overall conductivity; a 2-3 cm VIP panel is equivalent to 10-15 cm of mineral wool insulation and thus saves much space. Previously, the technique was only used in fridges and refrigerators.

There are nevertheless also some disadvantages with VIP: costs are still relatively high. More ubiquity in the future will certainly decrease prices and make the choice of material more economic in both short- and long-term. Another problem is that utmost care is required during transportation and construction. The quality decreases over time in a way that the lifetime is 30 - 50 years. Panels should thus be easy to access and replaceable.

Sources:
http://www.byggahus.se/artiklar/nya-effektiva-material-for-miljon
http://www.starch.dk/private/energy/insulation.asp

Sick building syndrome

Built environment affects our lives in a myriad of ways including impacts on health issues. Sick building syndrome (SBS) is caused by indoor environmental conditions of workplaces and houses and causes long term health problems. Symptoms are sensory irritation of the eyes, lips, nose, throat, mucosa and skin and odor and taste sensations

The problem is pinned down to flaws in the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Other causes have been attributed to contaminants produced by outgassing of some types of building materials, molds, lack of adequate fresh-air intake/air filtration, and also sometimes inappropriate ventilation of the ozone produced by some machines in offices.

Ninety percent of 189 cases studied at University of Umeå between 1986 and 1998 of were women. The reason can be the fact that women are more willing to report such things, but can also be due to a more responsive immune system in women.

It is always important to seek care early to avoid persistent problems. Symptoms are normally relieved after changing the work place or improvements in the building.

Sources:
http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=83&artikel=2510558#articleToolbar
Wikpedia

Ideal city

From the photo collection Lil Contentments by Kiana Farhoudi (published on Facebook )

Villa Leipzig

Everything started with a simple three-dimensional model of the house we are living in to be located on Google Earth as a tribute to this lovely four-storied stately house. In fact, our landlord had previously lectured with a preacher's passion on the reputation of the edifice as one of the oldest buildings in the area. Nevertheless, it was just recently that I discovered that our house - which I had superficially called Örby House before - actually has a cordial historic name: Villa Leipzig!

Stockholm's Yellow Pages, 1922

According to Stockholm's Yellow Pages archive (above), the mansion dates back to latest 1922 and there was - among all - a bakery located in the house. Based on available photos, there has been a two-storied building called Villa Jennylund in the same location in 1910. This was consecutively replaced by current Leipzig House one decade later. It can be concluded that Villa Leipzig is at least 90 years old and has been almost in the same shape from the beginning.

Villa Jennylund, 1910

In 1945, there was a coffee and tobacco shop in the building which are now replaced by a residence and an office. Villa Leipzig undoubtedly deserved a 3d model on Google Earth! New features in Sketchup 8. have largely facilitated construction of new models by incorporating more accurate pictures from Google Map's Street View. Previously, Building Maker online application had been introduced by Google to construct digital models using enhanced oblique photos of the buildings from four different directions.

Villa Leipzig, 1945

Sources:
http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%96rby,_Stockholms_kommun
http://www.stockholmskallan.se/php/fupload/SMF/SD/SSMB_0023983_1922_12.pdf
http://www.hjle.se/

Life on a leaf

There is a bridge over the entrance to the master bedroom and a heart-shaped window over the bed. Allover the floors, walls and ceilings is covered with sharp colors and lively patterns. Plan of the house located in Åbo in Finland resembles a leaf which was owner's desire from the beginning.

Jan-Erik Andersson who lives in the house with his wife and ten-year-old daughter asked a number of his artist friends to create some works of art around the house and denied to be consulted about what they were going to create. "It was important to bring in ideas to the house that I myself had nothing to do with; since otherwise it would have been like living inside my own brain which is not healthy at all!" he clarifies.

The interesting part of the story is the numerous warnings he had received from prominent Finnish architects while determinedly trying to realize his dreamy house with help of architect Erkki Pitkäranta. They believed that the family of Andersson will soon get bored by striking colors and playful shapes established right in the middle of their daily life and not for example in a play ground or Disney Land. Their opinion however did not come true; at least after one and half year!

If you ask me, I go with Finish architects: "This is a terrible place to live in"! The point is that tastes are vastly different and the client has the right as long as the place is not within the public realm. Still the exterior look should not contradict neighbourhoods ín a way that it could be considered a visual threat to its surrounding.

Source: http://www.dn.se/bostad/konsten-att-bo-i-lovformat-hus

P.S.

On 28 Sep. 2011, I got this message in my mailbox:

Hello Pouriya Parsanezhad!
I would LOVE to comment your blog article about "Life on a Leaf" -house. But the comment form does not work.
So anyway, this is the comment:
I haven't seen you living here ;), so maybe you can not say that "THIS IS A TERRIBLE PLACE TO LIVE IN!" This is NOT terrible place to live in. This is my home. And belief it or not I am (now you can laugh) a minimalist.You are more than welcome to see and experience the real house!
The Wife (still alive)

To which I replied:

Dear Marjo,
Sorry for late reply,and so sorry for having written that sentence even though I had tired to moderate it with the following sentence: "The point is that tastes are vastly different and the client has the right as long as the place is not within the public realm.", still I was partly influenced by DN's article when I was writing that post, I should confess. The thing is that when one reads something in a newspaper, it is considered merely as a written document and one easily becomes ignorant about the fact that behind those words, there are in fact some people with their passions, emotions and lives specifically when talking about a house.
I have vividly gone too far by speaking out in such a deterministic way. This is in fact YOU and your family who are the most legitimate persons to judge how it feels to live in your dreamy house not me, DN's editorial or architectural critiques. Nevertheless, you do not need to bother yourself much since my blog does not have so many readers as far as I know:) ... 
But a 'minimalist' loving such a style for living place still sounds confusing to me I should confess!
Kind regards,- Pouriya Parsa

Lovely Marjo finally left me speechless by replying back as follows:

Dear Pouriya Parsa!
Take it easy, don't be SO sorry ;)! I understand that you need to have some edge when you write something.
We have been hearing criticism so much that it does not bother anymore. And without that there was no reason to do the house. We have also seen so many different people that like about the project that it feels that we made something interesting.
Anyway, if you have some time, look at the house's websites, in spite of that you (and meny other :) don't like the house, the process have been more than interesting.
I use to hate the idea of the house, but the process made me see things in a different way.http://www.anderssonart.com/leaf/index.html
And look all the artist's who have been doing art in the house:http://www.anderssonart.com/leaf/artists/index.html
If you like you can use pictures from the websites and you don't have to be politically correct ;).
best,Marjo
ps: I am sorry to say to you that my partner has also done some works to the public realm. ;) www.rosegarden.fi

Such an amateur blogger that I am, I feel more than indulged to see a single post of mine receiving so much attention!

News on recent changes in housing market in Sweden

Just came across two contradictory pieces of news on changes in housing prices in todays newspapers. Dagens Nyheter addresses a recent fall in prices, while E24 reports in increase during the last quarter of the year in its headline. Eventhough time spans are different, such widely adverse standpoints towards an issue sound amazing! Here comes a summmary of the two:

Dagens Nyheter: House price had a 4 percent decrease in December:
- The fall in prices of residences in December has been 7, 3 and 4 percent respectively in Malmö, central Stockholm and Göteborg.
- Prices have decreased in a more rapid pace in those towns having recovered faster from financial crisis.
- There is no risk of housing bubble in Sweden.
- During the last decade, price of housing in Sweden has risen up to 153%; that of vilas 72%
- The highest increase in housing price in Sweden in recent decade: 218% in Göteborg
- The highest increase in villa price in Sweden in recent decade: 131% in Malmö

E24: Compared to last year, house prices have increased:
- The highest increae was 4% in Gotland
- During the last quarter of the year, prices in Stockholm and Göteborg have been unchanged.
- In the same period, prices in Malmö have increased 2 percents.

Google, Eniro, hitta and others

As part of an initial survey for a modelling project, I made a simple comparison over satellite photos of the terrain provided by prominent global actors such as google (Google Maps http://maps.google.com/) and two major Swedish providers, Eniro (http://kartor.eniro.se/) and Hitta (http://www.hitta.se/). Bing's images were nit detailed enough throughout this area.

Above you can see the result on a sample area. Hitta vividly offers the best quality while Eniro's images are of the lowest resolution. The objective here was to determine which source is more appropriate for us in modelling in cases where high-resolution aerial or satellite photos by e.g. Blom or C3 are not available.

Since there was also a need for oblique and facade images, I made an investigation into a wider range of online resources and checked which features were covered by each of them upon studied area. The features I chose for this purpose were 2-, 2.5- and 3-dimentional representations and panoramic views.

Again, Hitta proves to provide the best results. Specifically, the street view feature in Hitta (Gatubild) is distinguished from the other in the sense that it covers almost the entire city while that of Google Maps only has major roads represented and Eniro has no coverage in the area at all. Nevertheless, 2.5-dimentional views of Eniro are more useful than three dimensional map of Hitta for my purpose. The reason is that Hitta's 3d model is semi-automatically created by image sensering and thus does not fully recognize sides, edges and corners of the buildings, contains lots of distorted building volumes and buildings mixed with trees, whereas Eniro's oblique images (Utsikt) are precisely assembled outputs of high-resolution aerial photos.

In the following table, a summary of analysis is given.

Optimal Web-based Visualization Tool

The following is an abstract of my thesis report titled as Towards an Optimal Web-based Visualization Tool; A Comparative Analytical Survey over Visualization Techniques for Enhancing Stakeholders’ Participation in Planning:

Use of digital visualization tools in planning is nowadays widely practiced around the world by various contributors to the field and in different planning scales. Visualization facilitates perception of underlying thoughts and objectives of planning alternatives and consequently assists with communication of the plan to stakeholders of different groups. This – in turn - enables them to actively and efficiently participate in the procedure from the very initial stages to the implementation phase thanks to the insight provided by user-friendly visualization tools.

Available visualization tools for planning, however, are either not integrated and efficient enough or too resource- or expertise-demanding and thus not entirely fulfilling the qualities mentioned above. This study is a search for a conceptual framework for the optimal web-based visualization tool. Web-basedness diminishes temporal and spatial distance among the users and planning agents and provides the possibility for more participation in and interaction with planning projects.

Within this study, major characteristics of an optimal tool have been investigated through literature and online resources, contacts with experts and practitioners, a survey over existing products and visual analysis of the outcomes. An evaluation cube was initially developed and then used as the basis for a set of duality criteria. A selection of visualization tools were examined against those criteria and results were demonstrated visually. Eventually, findings were used to provide a backcasted example of the optimal tool and suggestions were made for actual development of the package to be used by planning agents. 

P E N U M B R A

Hi!

The word Penumbra implies uncertainty. This is perhaps the most significant characteristic of the planning and design profession. At any specific scale and within any specific disciplinary field, planning and design entails collection, interpretation, synthesis, communication and management of huge masses of multidisciplinary information as a prelude of the eventual decision-making phase.

P E N U M B R A is the private press of mine where thoughts, reflections, comments and anecdotes of an assortment of works and words on planning and design of built environment will be published. Contributions range across vast subject areas and diverse scales; from architecture to regional and territorial planning. The contents will however be primarily based on, inspired by or addressing my actual works and studies. 

My primary intention is to motivate myself to articulate my perceptions, ideas and opinions in a semi-structured manner as well as to communicate my word to a broader public through a fairly accessible, flexible and somehow interactive platform.

Cheers,

- Pouriya Parsa