The Women's Building Forum

In 1980, a group of women working in architecture and construction come together to form the Women’s Building Forum (Kvinnors Byggforum). They want to reshape housing, put everyday needs in focus, and challenge a male-dominated industry by centring women’s experiences.

Uninvited, they take part in the Boplats 80 exhibition in Kungsträdgården, Stockholm. With a full-scale model of the shared spaces in a multi-family building, they present alternatives to the era’s often anonymous housing environments. The installation is a colourful and comfortable protest. The hallway and entrance are elevated as social spaces where neighbours might meet, and every design choice – from tiles to plants – carries a larger message: architecture affects everyone.

The installation attracts great attention, but also scepticism from the organisers: the Swedish Association of Architects. The action becomes the starting point of a long-term commitment to reimagine future housing and broaden who gets to shape the built environment.

In autumn 2025, a full-scale reconstruction of Kvinnors Byggforum’s contribution to Boplats 80 will be on display in the ArkDes collection exhibition. Step into a pastel-coloured story of resistance, community, and the power to change.