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Different actors within the Swedish construction sector have their significant roles within the complex interplay with rules, regulations, and the programming of space. The design outcome of our built environment and how is it perceived depends on the level of consensus between them. It is a complex topic that does not hold only one universal truth.

This thesis departs from a contemporary debate concerning the ongoing changes in Swedish housing regulations in the year 2024 and the negotiation among actors. Therefore, the report intends to use Boverket’s referral on new housing regulations as a catalyst to investigate power relations, varying motivations, and values in a project through the lens of three different actors in the construction sector; namely, the developer, the architect, and the building permit officer.

The thesis combines readings of referral statements and semi-structured interviews together with theories addressing power relations and varying values in a developed project. Furthermore, a research-by-design investigation has been conducted to speculate about the development of an architectural project from two different perspectives; economy and design. As a result of this, two versions of a tower block have been produced, compared, and evaluated in relation to each other. The design versions represent the complex interplay of a project in built form.