About

”Together we build” was about spreading knowledge to young people about an innovative design method for self-builders. Target groups were young people, both migrants and youths who grew up in the area. The purpose was utilization of knowledge that had been developed in two Vinnova-funded projects at Tjörn. The project involved the Municipality of Tjörn and a number of experts on co-design. The idea was to use young people to reach young people. We developed a strategy for young people to act as “motor” when it comes to attracting young people to want to build their own homes. By combining “learning by doing” with a strategy of “food as a magnet”, they got empowered and learned to build by designing and building an outdoor kitchen together the first year, and a small home for a young person the second year. In a parallel strategy, they learned filming and film editing, and were given the task of making interviews during the process and shaping short films to present at a number of events where it came young people. It was thus the development of the co-design method that was in focus, and the sense of increased power that it through “learning by doing” transfered to young people, which made them ready to imagine the idea of shaping and building their own homes. The long-term goal was to enhance Egnahemsfabriken’s support structure to make it work well also for young people, so that youths are reached when the support structure in the long run is scaled up to other municipalities in the country.