With stores across the UK, Swedish furniture giant IKEA are well known for their stylish and affordable flat pack furniture. However, IKEA are now turning their attention to building houses. They have teamed up with construction company Skanska to form BoKlok and aim to build new, affordable, sustainable, Scandinavian style homes right here in the UK. But this isn't a new venture for IKEA and Skanska. With over 20 years experience they have already built over 12000 homes in Sweden, Norway and Finland.
IKEA have now turned their attention to the UK and Bristol is set to be the first location to receive these flat pack homes. Work is already underway at the BoKlok on the Brook site in Hengrove to create 96 1 & 2 bedroom apartments and 77 2 & 3 bedroom family homes.
These flat pack homes consist of pre-assembled modules which are manufactured off site in a factory environment, transported to site and slotted together. Once on site, each home can be pieced together in as little as one day which means less noise, dust and dirt for neighbouring homes compared to conventional building sites.
Each wooden frame module is constructed on a production line and fitted out with all the necessary items required in a home, including insulation, windows, doors, flooring, electrical wiring and sockets, lighting, plumbing and even the kitchen sink.
However, unlike the flat pack furniture, these IKEA homes are not designed to be self assembled by the owner. They require lorry's to transport each module and a crane to manoeuvrer them into position. Think of each module as a giant building block. Each block connects to the next with minimal effort allowing for a very speedy assembly. Once slotted together it's just a case of connecting the electrics and plumbing and adding a few finishing touches and then each home is ready for it's new occupants.
IKEA are striving to create homes that are both stylish and sustainable. “They are built using modern methods of construction and are designed to reduce energy use, to be environmentally friendly and save you money at the same time “. They use enhanced insulation to keep the homes warm, the highest efficiency-rated boilers, and water saving taps and toilets. The double glazed windows are even filled with Argon gas to minimise heat loss. BoKlok homes “have half the climate impact compared to an average house” and they recycle most of their left over materials meaning less than 1% gets thrown away!
You can find more information about BoKlok on the Brook, including floor plans here.