Akademiska Hus builds student housing in Stockholm

The building from the 1940s was used until the end of 2022 for classrooms and administration for the Department of Special Education at Stockholm University, but is now empty following the department’s move to the new Albano campus. Akademiska Hus will now create modern housing for undergraduate and graduate students which will be called Remus and which, along with the company’s existing student housing at Frescati, will contribute to an even more attractive campus.

“We know that demand for undergraduate and graduate student housing is strong all over the country, especially in Stockholm. That is why Akademiska Hus is committed to creating more housing. Housing also contributes to a more open and secure campus that becomes vibrant around the clock,” says Anna Alsborger, facilities manager at Akademiska Hus.

Coliving and traditional one-bedroom flats

Following the renovation, the nearly 4,000 m2 building will house 72 apartments for 86 residents, as well as a common room accessible to everyone in the building. The housing facilities will be built according to Akademiska Hus’ Academic Living housing concept, which means they will include different types of apartments – ranging from traditional one-bedroom units with their own kitchens to apartments where up to six people share common spaces, such as bathrooms and kitchens. With this approach, Akademiska Hus will address the broad variety of needs and situations found among undergraduate and graduate students. New students are open to living and socialising with new friends, while more experienced students often prefer to live on their own.

“Sharing housing offers many benefits, such as increased social interaction and reduced loneliness, which many students may experience when moving to a new city. Coliving is also advantageous from a sustainability perspective in that functions and spaces can be used efficiently. Another important sustainable aspect of the student housing at Frescati Hage is that we are renovating an existing building. This approach significantly reduces our climate footprint compared with the environmental impact of new construction,” says Linda Teng, concept manager for Academic Living.

Focus on reuse and careful renovation

As yet another aspect of Akademiska Hus’ efforts to achieve its vision of a zero carbon footprint, the existing building was inventoried with the aim of recovering and reusing some of the existing materials. For example, stairwells with doors and fixtures will be preserved, as well as the beautiful boardroom and fixed bookshelves that will be relocated to the common areas of the building. There are also plans to equip the roof with solar panels. The conversion of the building to housing will be done carefully, especially since the building is classified as green (particularly valuable from a historical, cultural-historical, environmental, or artistic point of view) by the Stockholm City Museum. That is why there will be no deviations from the existing design.

Construction of the new undergraduate and graduate student housing is planned to begin in November 2023, with occupancy expected by summer 2025. The apartments will be rented to tenants through a third party.

• Rebuilding
• Student housing