Generatorn Housing | Spridd + Secretary + Septembre

Generatorn Housing is a multi-dwelling building in Linköping that has been designed by three architectural firms – Spridd, Septembre, and Secretary.

In the autumn of 2019, Spridd Architects won the land allocation competition for the Generatorn Block in Vallastaden, a new neighborhood west of Linköping city center. For the competition, Spridd, which is also the developer of the project, invited the Paris-based firm Septembre and the newly established office Secretary to design collaboration. The project developed early on through an experimental and creative process of collaborative drawing work and workshops as well as interviews with students who challenged the idea of individual architectural authorship.

Together, we have worked to create a common and inclusive architecture with a coherent design that contrasts with the diverse character of the area. Through the project’s diverse program and generous communal spaces, Intervallet showcases the potential for intergenerational encounters in line with the intentions of the urban plan. Here, one can find a social life beyond the walls of the apartments.

Generatorn consists of three properties that combine student apartments and senior apartments. The senior apartments have access to services and common rooms for socializing and recreation. There is also a cooperative tenancy in the senior apartments that allows its members to actively influence the operation of the property.

The building has seven floors and the attic consists of a winter garden, storage areas, and common areas along its fully glazed openable facades. The buildings have a total of 112 apartments. The senior apartments have been well equipped with generous balconies that extend along the entire southern facade. The bright student housing offers a variety of apartment types, from compact, to loft and alcove.

The structure is based on a load-bearing frame of CLT (Cross-Laminated Timber) without any concrete, which significantly reduces the building’s carbon footprint. The project is constructed as a plus-energy building, a house that generates more energy than it consumes, which is unique for Swedish construction. This is made possible through high-performance solar panels and innovative energy solutions such as ventilation units with individual control in each apartment. In addition to the energy-saving solutions, the building is constructed as a Nordic Swan Ecolabelled building, which ensures a sustainable construction process.

In addition to its own private properties, the residential building Intervallet also has access to a community facility that is shared with the other properties in the block. The so-called “Felleshuset” is a common meeting point in the block and includes an overnight apartment, meeting room, kitchen, toilets, and storage.

Project Info
Architects: SEPTEMBRE, Secretary, Spridd
Country: Sweden, Linköping
Area: 4650 m²
Year: 2023
Photographs: Johan Dehlin
Project Architect: Kim Bjarke (Spridd)
Collaborators: Johan Löwstett, Nils Sandström, Eva Strocholcova, Tanima Sonar, Dajana Hercigonja Pudak (Spridd)
Constructor: Lindstams Bygg
Landscape: Land arkitektur
Owner: K2A
Electricity: Incoord
Lead Architect: Lina Lagerström (Septembre)
HVAC: Incoord
Main construction team: Structor
Construction Engineering: Structor, Rodentia / Northcon