KTH researchers contribute to more sustainable student accommodation
More sustainability and less loneliness. This could be the result of the new building regulations for student accommodation that are proposed to be introduced on 1 July and where KTH has contributed with research to create more, better and cheaper student housing.
The new regulations are welcomed by Sara Ilstedt, Professor of Product and Service Design, who for several years has worked for legislation that better supports sustainable student accommodation.
"It feels great that our research will be of direct use and can result in concrete changes that benefit students," she says.
The focus of Ilstedt's research project, in which the property owner Akademiska hus is a partner, is how to create housing with a lower climate footprint but which is also social, functional and affordable for students.
The change in legislation, which eases building requirements, opens the way for more flexible forms of housing, such as shared housing, a solution that Ilstedt strongly favours. It favours sustainability and counteracts loneliness, she stresses. What this can mean in practice has been demonstrated at the Live-in Lab, where four small studios were combined into one apartment of over 100 square metres.
Huge increase in quality
"There is a huge increase in quality when you create a larger apartment out of several small ones, where there are so many areas that disappear in corridors, and where everyone must have a kitchen and bathroom."
Ilstedt emphasises both the social benefits, not least for those who have moved here from other countries or other parts of Sweden, and sustainability, by being able to make much better use of space if you build large apartments.
The researchers have also brought together industry representatives for a number of workshops - from members of parlamient and property owners to student accommodation companies and architects.
The idea has been to discuss and create consensus on what makes it difficult and expensive and how to facilitate the construction of good, cheap and climate-smart housing. The results have been used in proposals to the Tenants' Association, the National Housing Board and the government.
The new building regulations mean that the requirements for accessibility and function in new and remodelled buildings have been eased. For example, a bathroom does not need to be adapted for a wheelchair and can therefore be made smaller and cheaper.
Higher climate impact
"This means that more of the apartment's space can be used for other functions, which students value more. For example, a larger dining table, so you can invite friends over," says Ilstedt.
Under the new rules, at least 20 per cent of all apartments must still be adapted for accessibility. All student accommodation must also be designed so that it can be visited by someone with reduced mobility or orientation ability.
"Today, 1-2 per cent of all students are wheelchair users, so the requirement for all student apartments to be adapted is not reasonable. It drives up construction costs and increases the climate impact," says Ilstedt.
She hopes that more upcoming rule changes will give further boost to the development. The Swedish Union of Tenants is currently investigating how their rent-setting model can be changed to make it more financially favourable for property owners to rent out shared accommodation.
"It would mean a lot for property owners to dare to test shared accommodation," says Ilstedt.
Text: Christer Gummeson ( gummeson@kth.se )