ABSTRACT
Vetlanda Group Home is an institutional home for young, disabled people requiring care. Parents of the disabled people were very concerned that the homes should not look like an institution, and should have human scale. Vetlanda is situated about three hours south of Stockholm by public transport. It is a small and not especially attractive city, with around 13,000 inhabitants. It has grown with the introduction of good railway connections and industry. The traditional Swedish house – the model we all think of – is the simple, red-painted timber dwelling with its pitched roof and white-painted windows. This house type is still to be found all over Sweden – including newer versions around Vetlanda, with which the residents of this project wanted to create dialogue. Vetlanda is quite a new town, with few vernacular buildings. This development achieves two things really well: it provides good-quality living environments for disabled people, and it successfully bridges the boundary between urban and rural.
