The Bovieran concept was created by Goran Mellberg, a renowned Swedish developer who envisioned a residential microcosm designed for a new way of living in later life, centered around social interaction. The result is a multi-residential building with extensive communal areas, carefully designed to foster socialization, all built around a large, year-round livable garden.

The project emphasizes repetition and industrialization to optimize costs, incorporating prefabrication, off-site bathroom pods, and glass-covered roofs and walls. Since the first project in 2009, 17 Bovieran communities have been built across Sweden in various cities.

The building is structured in a U-shape around a central “greenhouse,” the heart of the concept: a 1,600 sqm climate-controlled “winter garden.” To ensure outdoor living, temperature and humidity are regulated year-round (17-18°C in winter, max 26°C in summer) through 90 ventilation grilles. The building’s expansive glass façade captures solar heat, which is stored in the concrete foundation, supplying up to 80% of the apartments’ heating needs.

Initially, all Bovieran complexes consisted of 48 high-quality apartments in four different layouts, spread across three floors, each with spacious balconies on the exterior. In 2018, the project was updated, increasing the number of apartments to 55. High-end finishes include oak parquet flooring in living areas, fully equipped kitchens, ceramic-tiled bathrooms, and the option for residents to personalize their finishes. The communal areas feature a bocce court, a shared lounge, and a gym. Access is monitored by security cameras, and all apartments are equipped with alarm systems.

StercheleGroup’s Contribution

StercheleGroup, through a multi-year contract with Skanska Sverige AB—the main contractor for most Bovieran projects—has contributed by producing and supplying 715 lightweight bathroom pods with different levels of finishes for 13 Bovieran communities, located in: Borgholm, Eskilstuna, Falun, Helsingborg, Landskrona, Sala, Skövde, Strängnäs, Vänersborg, Växjö, Karlstad, Salem, Staffanstorp, and Svedala.

The use of off-site manufactured bathroom pods has enabled a highly industrialized construction process, ensuring the highest quality standards while minimizing on-site challenges.

Additionally, the option for residents to customize their bathrooms required managing a wide variety of design alternatives. This was made possible through the careful selection of finishes and the high production flexibility of StercheleGroup.

For further insights into the bathroom pods designed for Bovieran, including technical details and installation processes, browse the case study.