AVS. Arkitektúr verktækni skipulag - 01.09.2004, Page 36

The Housing Cooperative,
Búmenn
Guörún Jónsdóttir, Architect, FAÍ, Chairman of Búmenn
The Housing Cooperative Búmenn was established in 1999. The organization covers the whole of lceland and
has 11 regional chapters, with around 2,300 members.
The main goal of the organization is
to build good housing at affordable
prices for people 50 years old and
older. Since the foundation of the
organization, nearly 300 flats have
been built in 11 local authorities
and about 100 are on the drawing
board. These are all flats with hous-
ing rights where people purchase
like to have direct access to a park-
ing garage without having to go
outdoors or to have a garage next
to their house connected to a good
storage area. Many of this group
are moving from larger properties
to smaller flats and the garage pro-
vides welcome extra space. The
members of Búmenn also prefer
or a bedroom, such as during tem-
porary illness.
Búmenn are aware of increasing
interest for semi-detached houses,
terrace houses and even small
detached houses. The co-opera-
tive will therefore strive to fulfill that
demand. Several ideas have been
put forward as to how the flexibility
the housing right, costing about 10-
30% of the building cost. The flats
have been of different types and
approximately half are in blocks of
flats and the other half in detached
houses, terrace houses and duplex-
es with private entrances. Much
emphasis is placed on good acces-
sibility of the handicapped to these
flats and the same applies to the
layout indoors.
Many members of Búmenn would
covered balconies in the blocks of
flats and paved areas as an exten-
sion of the living room or kitchen
and “greenhouses” but they also
increase the space for activities.
Emphasis has been put on the
building of two and three room flats
with the above possible additions.
The three room apartment is better
because it affords the possibility of
a room that can be used in different
ways - as a workroom, guestroom
of their housing can be achieved
and are working on many possibili-
ties. On the largest building site of
the co-operative where 80 flats were
built, a small social centre has been
constructed which is in common
ownership and run by the inhabit-
ants. This buílding is intended for
various meetings, teaching and
social functions. There is also stor-
age fo maintenance equipment
for the common site and a work-
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