Akademiska Hus builds student housing in Gothenburg

Akademiska Hus is investing to convert a former office building into 61 apartments in the Näckrosen area in central Gothenburg. The project will create much-needed campus-based housing for 125 undergraduate and graduate students and help to reduce the student housing shortage in the city.

Akademiska Hus is converting the “Språkskrapan” building, which was built in the 1960s, into modern housing for undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Gothenburg. The building is located in the Näckrosen area by the park Resntrömsparken between Götaplatsen and Korsvägen. Previously used as an office, the building was vacated when the university moved to new premises in the nearby renovated Humanisten building.

The new student housing units consist of two buildings with a common stairwell and one connected to the Humanisten building. The apartments that will be created will be classic one- and two-bedroom student apartments for two people. But space has also been allocated for larger apartments in line with the new student housing concept for co-living that Akademiska Hus has designed. Five to six people can live in these apartments, each with their own bedroom, but with a shared kitchen, living room and bathroom.

Recycling and solar panels

As part of Akademiska Hus’ efforts to achieve its vision for a zero carbon footprint, the existing office building was inventoried with the aim of being able to recycle and use some of the existing materials during the conversion to housing. The building will also be equipped with rooftop solar panels. The facility is expected to produce approximately 21,000 kWh of sustainable energy per year and will cover some of the internal electricity needs of the building, such as lighting.

Occupancy in the new undergraduate and graduate student housing in Gothenburg is planned in 2023. The apartments will be rented to tenants through a third party.

About the Näckrosen area

The centrally located Näckrosen area is a place with great potential. In addition to the conversion of Språkskrapan into student housing, a number of other projects are being planned in the area, where Akademiska Hus and the University of Gothenburg want to create a new university environment for the entire university and the entire city – a new centre for the humanities, arts and culture, for tomorrow’s research and education.

The new Humanisten building was completed in December 2019 and the Faculty of Arts is now all gathered under one roof. Planning is underway for a new building for the Faculty of Fine, Applied, and Performing Arts, including an integrated exit from the Västlänken Korsvägen station, in parallel with planning for a new and more functional university library.

With its proximity to the cultural institutions around Götaplatsen, as well as to the events happening on Korsvägen, in a few years the Näckrosen campus will be a more active and integrated part of Gothenburg.