Reside & Live Onboard

Reside & Live Onboard
Designing the future of life at sea

At Figura Arkitekter, we believe that the quality of life onboard is becoming one of the most important factors for the future maritime industry.

As part of the Lighthouse research project Reside & Live Onboard, carried out together with Chalmers University of Technology, RISE, Stena Teknik, Furetank and Donsötank, we explored how ship design can support crew well-being, recovery and long-term retention.

The project was based on interviews with active seafarers, identifying the factors that matter most when living and working at sea. Privacy, personal space, comfort, social interaction, wellness facilities and modern connectivity emerged as key requirements for future accommodation design.

Figura translated these user insights into spatial concepts, layouts and visual design proposals for crew cabins, social spaces, hobby areas and wellness facilities. The result demonstrates how human-centred design can transform research findings into practical and attractive onboard environments.

Our approach combines architecture, interior design, lighting design and user experience to create spaces that support both operational efficiency and human well-being. From compact crew cabins with clear separation between living and sleeping zones, to social lounges, creative hobby spaces, gyms, spas and outdoor wellness decks, every design decision is driven by the people who use the spaces every day.

As crew numbers decrease and competition for maritime talent increases, onboard living environments will become a critical factor in recruitment, retention and social sustainability.

We design vessels not only as workplaces — but as places where people can thrive.

Figura Arkitekter – Designing better life onboard.

The design concepts were developed by Figura Arkitekter in collaboration with Jennie Bramer and Sara Ewreskär. The visualizations and 3D renderings were produced by Råformat, helping bring the concepts to life and demonstrate how research-based design can improve the onboard living environment.
 

For more insights from the project, read the report here: Reside and live onboard – what is important for the well-being and comfort of the crew?