Claiming a space for voice: Kvinnors Byggforum

A study of feminist architectural activism in Sweden, 1970–1990.

Between 1970 and 1990, feminist architectural movements emerged in Sweden, with Kvinnors Byggforum (KBF) as one of the most influential actors. Through archival research and interviews, this project highlights how KBF not only challenged norms within the building industry but also created new spaces—both physical and symbolic—for women’s voices, experiences, and visions in architecture.

Rixt Hoekstra is a Dutch architectural historian specializing in gender studies within historiography and archival research. She is affiliated with several universities in the Netherlands and across Europe. In her research project at ArkDes, she examined feminist activist groups in architecture that emerged in Sweden during the so-called second wave of feminism, from 1968 to the 1990s.

The focus of her project was to shed light on the history of Kvinnors Byggforum through the recently donated archive. Through meticulous study of the material, Hoekstra identified several key documents from the period 1979 to 1986. She placed particular emphasis on central events in which KBF was involved: the international congresses and network-building efforts, the exhibitions Boplats 80 and Bo 85, and the planning of the Hansta residential area in Stockholm.

The research also included interviews with former members of Kvinnors Byggforum. Hoekstra’s report represents a first step toward documenting the history of KBF and points to the need for further study to do full justice to its legacy.