The Women’s Hall of Residence in Aarhus University Park, Denmark 1950–1960

This article investigates the intra-actions between the first Women’s Hall of Residence in the University Park, Aarhus, and its inhabitants, the home economics students at Aarhus University during the 1950s. These intra-actions, on the one hand, fostered the emergence of a female-centred space and, on the other, facilitated the creation of a distinct intellectual sphere for the home economics students. Drawing on spatial theory, new materialist, and post-humanist perspectives – particularly the works of Henri Lefebvre, Maria Tamboukou and Karen Barad, this study examines how the physical environment, material settings, and spatial design shaped and were simultaneously shaped by the inhabitants. It demonstrates that the Women’s Hall of Residence functioned both as an intellectual space for the home economics students and as a female-centred environment, constituted through their everyday practices and intra-actions. This dual character underscores the dynamic interplay between space, materiality, and the lived experiences of its residents, highlighting the agency of the students in transforming their environment.