Bokompakt - think less and build more

A tiny revolution

Bokompakt was an experimental project, where we wanted to learn how to build better and cheaper student housing. The purpose was to bring down the cost for the tenants and to reduce the environmental impact compared to regular accommodation. Students had a great influence on the project and have contributed with their ideas, visions and needs.

Bokompakt is located at Kämnärsrätten in Lund and consists of 22 apartments, between 10 and 40 square meters. AF Bostäder and architect Pontus Åqvist at OpenStudio planned the apartments together with a group of students. The first tenants moved into the apartments in autumn 2014.

Smarter building regulations, thank you!

Swedish housing is in very short supply when it comes to student accomodation. In order to build Bokompakt, we had to struggle for an exemption concerning the accessibility requirements - which we were finally granted by the Land and Environmental Court. Current building regulations does not take into account that student housing is used for a limited period of time. That is why, we need new and smarter building regulations designed for student housing. Then we would be able to build more student housing, something that the entire housing market will benefit from.

So small. So smart. So sustainable.

Bokompakt is a highly space efficient with low resource usage. With a small area, the construction costs and rent can be kept down. It also requires less heating and fewer lamps. Thanks to hot water exchangers and solar collectors, Bokompakt is self-sufficient in heating. The construktion material is wood - a better environmental choice than for example concrete. An important part of Bokompakt is to create attractive outdoor environments. The surfaces around and between the buildings has become a natural and important meeting place for the students.

The tenants like their accommodation

In March 2016 Elisabeth Hornyánszky Dalholm, at Lund University, presented the results of Bokompakt’s evaluation study. On the whole, the students who participated in the study (ie the tenants at Bokompakt 2014-2015) were very satisfied with their accommodation. Despite the limited surface, they felt that their accommodation was airy and bright. Other benefits found in the study were that the accommodation was well planned, and that the kitchen was well-equipped and smart. The students who lived in 2-4 room apartments wished that the bedrooms had been slightly larger and lacked private storage spaces. A low rent in combination with a newly built apartment was appreciated by the students, who thought that Bokompakt is a future-oriented accommodation, where it is important to build, live and live sustainably.