Sustainable Living

Mårten Dahlin

The Future of Home living is here and was presented by the SCC Member Trivselhus during the Ideal Home Show in London earlier this spring. The house manufacturer is firmly established as one of the leading builders on the Swedish housing market. Founded in 1993 in Korsberga, Sweden, their expertise lie in the use of sustainable solutions to build bespoke houses and commercial properties. In 2014 Trivselhus delivered around 300 houses. In the past five years Trivselhus has built more than 50 homes around the UK.

“For 20 years our Swedish customers have enjoyed the lifestyle benefits that the Trivselhus Climate Shield has brought to the design of their homes. Trivselhus is delighted to be able to offer our beautifully crafted product to UK home owners who want the lowest possible energy costs now and in the future” says Ken Forster, Managing Director for Trivselhus UK to The LINK.

All Photos provided by Trivselhus

Here in the UK, Trivselhus established themselves 20 years ago in response to a growing demand for Scandinavian style, quality and efficiency in homes and commercial buildings.

The LINK visited the exhibition where Trivselhus had built up a whole property called “The Future Proof Home”. Trivselhus exhibited at the Ideal Home to launch the company on the
market in a major way and to bring the brand to the forefront of the UK house market at what is the largest show in the UK of its kind. The award winning show celebrated its 107th year, this year with an estimated number of 250.000 visitors during the 17 days.

At first glance it seems to be a typical Scandinavian design home with light open plan flooring and minimalistic furnishing. But not in this case. The innovative house can be built within a few days, by two workers and a crane, since it’s structured in a factory and assembled on site. Also, the house includes energy efficiency solutions that result in minimum or even zero energy bills for its owner.

The secret behind this sustainable living is that it has an airtight shield, reducing thermal leakage. The shield consists of triple glazed filled windows, mineral wool insulation, just to
mention some of its solutions, giving the house an “A” energy rating compared to the existing average UK “E”. According to Forster, environmentally friendly living is an important feature for Trivselhus, and he is pleased that the company has assumed the
leading position in this area. “It is really important that Trivselhus takes the lead in the area
of sustainability, since we believe that clients care about the environment. We then have to increase the customers’ perception about Trivselhus being associated with environmentally friendly living” Ken Forster explains to The LINK.

Due to fierce competition among housing manufacturers, they all have to consider production and material costs. Most manufacturers are driven by land value and minimizing specification and the first costs to go are those related to environmental benefits. Despite the low level of environmental legislation standards in the UK compared to on the Swedish housing market, Trivselhus believes that customers do care about environmentally friendly living. And that is just one reason why Trivselhus is continuously working to enhance sustainable future living for various customer groups.

By offering a wide range of different houses, all with a typical Scandinavian design, Trivselhus has contributed to further enhance the perception of a typical Swedish home in the UK. Ken Forster explains to The LINK that the influence of Scandinavian design has had a dramatic effect in the way a British house looks today.

“If we go back twenty years, most houses in the UK were built of brick, usually red. Flooring was carpet and most furniture was made of dark wood. Also, open plan living was unheard of and candles were for power cuts. That has all changed with the influence of Scandinavian culture with open plan, which is now not unusual. Flooring today tends to be timber or copy. Interiors are light and candles are now for ambience”, Forster tells The LINK.

The opportuinities for Trivselhus in the UK are enormous. There is a major housing shortage, which will take approximately 20 years to eliminate, according to Forster. Trivselhus has to continue to work in order to serve the market in three basic parts
where image, quality and environment are the most important features.

However, being one of many operators on the housing market, it’s still a difficult task for Trivselhus. They also have to create long lasting and good partnerships with land owners,
local authorities and housing providers just to mention a few.

“The task of fi nding the right land and the right kind of partners, who share a similar vision, is the main challenge for Trivselhus. But, we think we can build a significant business over the coming years”, Forster explains.

The response after the Ideal Home Show has been fantastic for the company, with the amount of people who visited the exhibition surpassing expectations and contributing to new opportunities for further expansion on the UK market. After the Ideal Home Show “The Future Proof Home” was dismantled and rebuilt in Northumberland and put up for sale. The next upcoming project is to start building twelve new houses at Lakeside Water Park in the Cotswolds. And maybe in the near future a house made by Trivselhus, with its Scandinavian design, could be perceived as a typical British home.