High6

High, sustainable and innovative living
Client: Obos Sverige AB
Location: Kalmar
Years of commission: 2016-2019
Contractor: Obos/Myresjöhus
Partner: Smart Housing Småland

High6 is the name of both the research project that seeks to find a well-functioning way to build good quality, pre-fabricated multi-family houses, and of the actual result: a pleasant, personable high-rise building built in the factory.

You can summarise the research project High6 which Tengbom is a part of as a new way of building multi-family houses, High6. Modular buildings are not a novelty in of themselves, as villas have been manufactured in the factory and sold turnkey for a long time, but most higher buildings are designed and produced in other ways. Now this is changing. The project makes it both more sustainable and easier to plan housing construction.

The company Obos has been building homes since 1927, among other brands such as Myresjöhus and Smålandsvillan. But they were interested in developing their business, investing in a new market and exploring alternative ways of building, which is where the collaboration with Tengbom got its start. Next year, the six-storey building High6 will be erected in Kalmar.
“It is a positive development that architects have started to approach the industry, and vice versa. Everyone benefits from it. In the end, it gives a better result and better housing. This is an important trend and we are one of the architectural firms leading the way”, says architect Joao Pereira.

High6

The best of both worlds

The prerequisite for the project was to use Obos’ existing factory and to use the module dimensions 4 x 12 metres in order to be able to manufacture the series and transport the apartments to the place where they will be erected. There will be 31 apartments, made up of 64 units. The dominant material is wood, and it was important that the apartments should feel pleasant and inviting, with the manufacturing process making the most of available technology. In addition to housing, communal areas such as a bicycle workshop, a greenhouse, and a shared roof terrace will also be included.

The factory as a lab

For architects, this is in part a new way of working. The modules are manufactured in their entirety in the factory, complete with a refrigerator, freezer, and a washing machine, and then driven just over 10 miles to the place where they are to be placed. To assemble the entire six-storey house then only takes one working week. The advantage of the close cooperation between the manufacturers and the architects is that the development work has been able to continue throughout the project period.
“The factory works in this case as a laboratory. Since the modules are completely built on the conveyor belt, you can enter the apartments before they are in place. We can see how things work before everything is finished and make improvements before the modules are assembled”, says Joao Pereira.

The vision was a final product with a high quality, well-functioning construction, and to respect both the residents and the surrounding area.

High quality is the be-all and end-all

One challenge with the project has been to design a building that makes everyday life better for people while at the same time having to meet strictly given manufacturing templates. Design and function are the focus, rather than technical specifications. What do people want a home to offer? What is needed for a family? These needs have been analysed, and the responses and desires shown there have been adapted to the given frameworks.
“The vision was a final product with a high quality, well-functioning construction, and to respect both the residents and the surrounding area, and we have reached that point now,” concluded Joao Pereira.

The team behind this project

Contact

Fredrik Genberg Practice Director Kalmar