The building from the 1940s has previously housed teaching and administration premises for the Department of Special Education at Stockholm University, but after a renovation it has been transformed into modern accommodation with 72 apartments. The apartments go by the name Remus and all apartments are already fully let.
"We are very happy to inaugurate our new homes and welcome the students to their new home. Investments like Remus' are needed to meet the great demand for student and researcher housing that exists in Stockholm. With more housing, the campus will also become an even more attractive and vibrant place for more hours of the day," says Anna Alsborger, Property Director at Akademiska Hus.
Stockholm University is renting Remus from Akademiska Hus. The university, in turn, rents out the apartments to certain groups of international students.
"Campus housing is an important piece of the puzzle in the university's reception of international researchers and students. Remus is a good example of how we can work together to create accommodation that international students are interested in. The need for housing is great, and this means that projects like Remus are really needed," says Clara Bohman, Head of Housing Supply at Stockholm University.
Inside one of the new student apartments at Frescati Hage in Stockholm. Photo: PMAGI AB.
Shared accommodation and classic one-room apartments
The nearly 4,000 m2 building contains different types of apartments - everything from classic studios with their own kitchen to apartments where up to six people share common areas such as bathrooms and kitchens. Sharing accommodation provides many benefits such as increased social community and that fewer people feel lonely, something that many students can experience when they move to a new place.
"Shared housing is also positive from a sustainability perspective in that functions and spaces can be shared together. Another important sustainable aspect with Remus in particular is that we have built the homes in an already existing house. In this way, we reduce our climate footprint significantly compared to the impact on the environment that a new construction entails," says Linda Teng, concept manager for student and researcher housing at Akademiska Hus.
The old stairwell is one of many parts that have been reused. Photo: PMAGI AB.
Focus on reuse and careful renovation
Prior to the renovation, the existing building was inventoried with the aim of making use of and reusing parts of the existing materials. Among other things, the stairwell with doors and fixtures has been preserved, as well as the beautiful boardroom. The roof will also be equipped with solar cells. The work to convert the building into housing has been carried out carefully, especially since the building is green classified according to the Stockholm City Museum's classification. No deviations from the existing design have therefore been made. Akademiska Hus has invested a total of approximately SEK 90 million in the reconstruction.
