Bygga’re Tryggare

How can school architects meet the needs of children who have experienced stressful life events? That was the question the team set out to answer in Bygga’re Tryggare, a project developed as part of ArkDes Open Call 2019, which explored themes such as equality, participation, and quality in public space.

Even though the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child became law in Sweden in 2020, and research since the 1970s has stressed the importance of children’s participation in planning processes, there are still few methods that give children real influence in matters of urban design. Bygga’re Tryggare (Building for Safety) was initiated to make space for children’s own insights and views on how environments are shaped. With growing statistics on stress and anxiety among children, the aim was to show that schools can act both as risk factors and as protective, healing spaces. School is a key arena in children’s lives, and a safe environment can support recovery and well-being.

The project began by identifying places and situations that caused stress or discomfort in the school setting, through dialogue with a reference group of children who had experienced difficult life events. The team included school architects, education developers, teachers, child psychologists, and experts in children’s rights. With the help of class 5B at Ekhammarskolan in Kungsängen, challenges and possible solutions were discussed in relation to a real school. Psychologists from Rädda barnen played a vital role throughout the process—building trust, preparing the children, and informing them about their rights.

The mapping identified several so-called “hot spots” in the school. These were areas where children felt exposed, unsafe, or where there was a lack of adult presence. Proposed solutions included making shared spaces—such as entrances, stairwells, and areas outside the dining hall or gym—safer through shorter sightlines and well-placed doors or windows. Another key takeaway was that design should promote adult presence, for example through thoughtful placement of school offices and janitorial staff.

The project resulted in a playfully designed manual aimed at architects, urban planners, school and property managers, and other decision-makers. It presents practical methods for including children’s perspectives, such as interviews, walk-and-talks, and the use of fictional, gender-neutral personas. These personas allow children to express where they feel most comfortable and what they need in different situations—without having to speak directly about their own experiences. Several organisations and municipalities, including Trosa Municipality, have requested the guide as a tool in workshops and values-based development work. Lessons from the project have also been applied in the design phase of later school projects.