Handbok i praktisk ödehusräddning

Do it again, do it right – Around the country with Renoveringsraseriet by authors Gustav Bergström and Alfred Skogberg.

Over the past decades, we have seen container after container filled with our common building heritage. Beautiful 1950s kitchens are worn out and replaced by mass-produced ones, mouth-blown window glass ends up in landfills, and cheap, unmaintainable materials replace old and solid ones.

Since its inception in 2020, Renovation Fury has criticized careless renovations on their popular Facebook and Instagram accounts of the same name.

In this book, we follow the founders, Gustav Bergström and Alfred Skogberg, on a journey to twelve Swedish cities; from Kiruna in the north to Sölvesborg in the south. They talk to architects, urban planners and experts and point out both good examples and pure disasters.

Do it again, do it right is both a portrait of the times and a cry for help. Caring and preserving is not just about nostalgia, it’s a must if we want to achieve our climate goals. It’s high time we started to see the value of craftsmanship and quality, and realize that new is not always better!

Swedish Grace is a term coined by contemporaries to denote neoclassical Swedish design from the 1910s and 1920s.

The most representative buildings from this era, such as the Stockholm City Library by Gunnar Asplund, the Resurrection Chapel by Sigurd Lewerentz and the Stockholm Concert Hall by Ivar Tengbom, are all world-famous, and most of what was built during the period is among the most highly regarded architecture in Sweden.

In this anthology, specialists from Sweden as well as other countries discuss different perspectives on Swedish Grace and show aspects that are still relevant today.

The Colors of the Garden City explains what is special about the centuries-old cultural environments of Bromma and other garden cities in Sweden. What is it that makes the garden city such an attractive form of living even for modern people? What gives character to the urban plan and to buildings and gardens from eras with different stylistic ideals? Learn the differences between the National Romanticism of the 1910s, the Neoclassicism of the 1920s and the Functionalism of the 1930s.

The authors began their mapping of garden cities in Sweden as early as the 1980s, by producing material with color schemes and character descriptions for typical houses of the time. Parts of the material are now in a permanent exhibition in Måleributiken in Alvik and have been shown at the City Museum 2013-2015.

The purpose of the book is to draw attention to the unique cultural values of the garden city for all of us and at the same time inspire you as a homeowner to learn more about architecture and coloring. A cultural environment needs to be protected and your house needs continuous care and attention. When repairing and renovating your house – make sure you do not damage the house due to ignorance.

Building Care for Apartments takes its starting point in the emergence of the modern city at the end of the 19th century and allows us to follow the development of the Swedish apartment decade by decade, until the end of the 1980s. By highlighting how political forces have interacted with aesthetic ideals and construction technology, the book provides a unique insight into why our homes look the way they do. From the design of residential areas and the appearance of facades, to the division of rooms, the colors of walls and the specific profiles of skirting boards. In an accessible way, you will learn about the rich history hidden behind the perhaps worn floors or flaking wallpaper.

The second part of the book consists of an extensive chapter devoted entirely to the practical aspects of renovation and apartment care. It presents concrete strategies for approaching and dealing with issues related to care and renovation, as well as practical tips on how best to proceed when faced with the need to restore or replace something.

Building Conservation for Apartments is an indispensable tool for anyone interested in preserving their apartment and its history.