There are two full-scale models built by two different groups of students within the course development projects. Helena Johnsson, Lecturer, explains:
- It is the course is the last in the 5th grade before their graduation thesis. It is a "sharp project", these apartment prototypes may after evaluation become real houses built of Lindbäcks Construction, says Helena Johnsson.
The work of carpentry, painting, and electricity has been a furious pace of these beginners in the construction industry. The apartments are handicapped according to the standards of accessibility and functionality. One can for example come in and turn around with a wheelchair in the bathroom. Storage is an important aspect that requires smart solutions such as wardrobes. In cold climates, the part bulky winter clothes if you want to get through the winter without freezing.
- We have outlined an even smaller apartment with no requirement for disabled, says Johan Larsson, it is the 7.5 square meters - an extremely compact housing.
The rent is just over 2000 SEK per month for an apartment of 16 square meters based on current prices in Lulea where the current rent is 1,500 SEK per square meter / year.
- Cheap, it's that we students want it, says Pernilla Larsson in a break from wallpapering.
That it gets a little crowded does not seem to bother the students, only one can sleep, eat, bathe and study. Study time is after all limited to a few years of one's life.
The hope now is that these prototypes can serve as inspiration for major building companies and municipalities in order to quickly resolve housing for students where and when the need arises. The work is done in cooperation with the construction company Lindbäcks Construction in Piteå. The students in this course study at The me in Civil Engineering and The Master Programme in Architectural Engineering
Building and construction is expensive in Sweden. High technical requirements combined with relatively high wages creat a cost between 22 to 28,000 SEK per/km2 and that makes a so-called youth apartment of 24 m2 giving a monthly rent of about 3 500 SEK.
The Swedish government tries to promote innovative construction of housing for young and BOVERKET - The Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and Planning has given the construction industry a mandate to come up with suggestions and ideas. They are also prepared to "soften" some of the now very strict requirements for new constructions. This project course at Luleå University of Technology is part of this process in order to initiate a viable building for young people.
- Today is built almost entirely upscale accommodations at attractive addresses where not even the craftsmen who stand for actual construction has an option to rent. says Helena Johnsson.