Malmö’s new bike-friendly housing

Swedish architects, Hauschild+Siegel, design building to cater for cyclists.

Regular readers here at Springwise will be familiar with the cult of cycling and the innovation inspired by those who love to ride. As cities seek to become greener and healthier places to live, we have seen a greater interest in city-based cycling infrastructure from space-saving robotic bike parking to helmet dispensers in addition to apps which seek to use crowdsourced cycle data to improve safety. We’ve even seen hotels geared towards cyclists.  Now Swedish development, Cykelhuset Ohboy, will combine an apartment building and hotel all designed from the ground up specifically for cyclists.

The building will comprise 55 apartments, ranging in size from 1-4 bedrooms, and a ‘bike hotel’ at street-level with 31 mezzanine apartments. Set in Sweden’s Malmö, the project will feature facilities for charging electric bikes along with a service station with air pumps and a bike workshop. Construction began last year and the architects, Hauschild+Siegel, are clear that the plans have been drawn up with cyclists in mind from the start, rather than having cycle friendly features tacked on. The complex will have larger elevators, corridors and doorways to accommodate bikes, surfaces will be durable and easily cleaned and bike parking will replace car parking spaces.

In addition to the physical features, a number of perks will make the space particularly appealing to those who cycle. Residents will be entitled to an annual bike service and will have access to a bicycle share scheme with bikes for guests, cargo bikes for transporting multiple people and foldable commuter bikes all available. They will also have access to a car-share scheme for those occasions, when a car may be necessary.

Construction of Cykelhuset Ohboy began last year. The first apartment tenants are expected to move in at the end of this year or at the beginning of 2017. How else can good design make sustainable lifestyles more achievable?