Serneke and Balder join forces in housing project in Umeå

The Municipality of Umeå has allocated land jointly to Serneke and Balder on which to develop one urban block in the Tomtebo Gård area, one of Umeå’s largest housing projects. The joint proposal by the companies involves some 200 apartments, both rental and tenant-owned apartments of varying size, from studios up to apartments with four bedrooms, living room and bathroom, and between 25 and 130 m². The proposal for the block also includes a number of townhouses.

In the proposal, considerable focus has been afforded to both environmental and social aspects of sustainability, with energy solutions involving both solar cells and heat recovered from wastewater being included, as well as non-toxic and recyclable choices of building materials. The social and health qualities of the neighborhood’s outdoor environments are also prominent in proposal, with green courtyards, exercise opportunities and meeting places being prioritized. The project is being conducted and certified in accordance with the requirements of the Miljöbyggnad Silver environmental standard. The proposal’s sustainability ambitions have also been highlighted in the municipality’s motivation for the award: “Their proposal agrees well with the zoning and design programs, setting strict sustainability targets.”

“We have several promising projects being conducted in collaboration with Balder all around in the country, so it feels great to be able to now present a major project in Umeå too. In Serneke’s expansion in Region North, Umeå is the obvious growth location in which to be present, and we will now be able to increase our presence there,” says Mikael Thorgren, Regional Manager at Serneke Sweden.

After initially signing a land allocation agreement, the parties will further develop the building permit proposal. Construction is scheduled to commence in the spring of 2022, with the homes being planned for completion beginning in early 2024.

White Arkitekter and Tyréns have been involved in preparing the proposal.