Sofielunds Kollektivhus is a purpose-built cohousing project in the Trevnaden neighbourhood of northern Sofielund, near Möllevången in Malmö, Sweden. 2 It was developed through cooperation between Kollektivhus i Malmö (KiM), the municipal housing company MKB and construction company NCC, with KiM involved throughout planning and able to influence the building’s design and functions. 24 The wider project’s architects included Kanozi Arkitekter. 7
Residents began moving in during December 2014. 2 The house comprises a large L-shaped building and a smaller courtyard building, with 45 rental apartments of different sizes intended for people of all ages. 2 Each household has a fully equipped private apartment, while shared facilities include a communal kitchen and dining room, TV and music rooms, workshops, a guest apartment, yoga room, sauna, courtyard and rooftop terrace. 2
The project was designed to encourage neighbourly contact, which conventional apartment buildings may not readily support. 2 Residents’ association members make shared decisions about the building’s operation, upkeep and social activities. 2 The residents’ cooperative association, Sofielunds Kollektivhus (SoKo), block-rents the property from MKB; residents participate in decisions on how it is run. 711
KiM began in 2009 as an initiative by Malmö residents seeking a centrally located cohousing option. 7 SoKo was formed in 2014, and the house became part of MKB’s wider Trevnaden development, which includes 170 homes across apartment buildings and row houses. 7 The project’s scope is therefore both residential and communal: private rental homes combined with shared spaces and resident-led management. 27