IKEA and construction company Skansa are expanding their BoKlok Scandinavian timber frame home concept to the UK to meet the need for affordable housing.
New UK licensee BoKlok UK, comprising Home Group subsidiary Paramount Homes and housing association the Hyde Group, is currently seeking development sites throughout the UK for the homes. Building is expected to start in the autumn, with the first completions scheduled for spring 2006.
Similar licences operate in Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark, with some 2,000 homes built so far.
BoKlok houses will be designed to cost less than similar homes for sale or rent in the private market and will be affordable for those on average annual household incomes of £15,000-30,000.
Standardised solutions and use of prefabricated components will be used to keep down costs.
A spokesperson for BoKlok UK said: “The homes will have a Scandinavian feel, be a timber frame construction and arranged as one or two bed apartments. They will be similar to those already built in Scandinavia, but designed specifically for the UK market.”
Designs for the UK homes are expected to be unveiled in early March.
BoKlok homes will be built by specialist contractors and are deemed unsuitable for the self-build market. Completed units will be marketed by BoKlok UK in conjunction with IKEA stores local to each development.
