Housing concept must set new standards for inclusion and community

Community is the key for “The Open Housing Community”, a new housing concept that aims to set new standards for inclusion in housing construction. It will be based on the principles of universal design and the experience of new forms of living community that are emerging all over Denmark.

The housing concept is created in a partnership between the Bevica Foundation, the Elsass Foundation, the housing company Lejerbo and the association Realdania. The common approach of the parties is that mobility disability is something that the vast majority of people have or get at some point in their lives.

Universal design and a new framework for quality of life

“" The open housing community” is about creating a natural foundation for meaningful and equal communities for all. We believe that quality of life is closely related to whether you feel part of the community, and of course this also applies to housing,” says Peter Lindegaard, Managing Director of the Elsass Foundation and Marianne Kofoed, Director of the Bevica Foundation.

It is also part of the objective that social inclusion should encourage more young people with mobility disabilities to complete youth education.

Building on the premise of universal design is about creating equal solutions for all. This means that accessibility is not seen as something you add, but as an architectural feature naturally integrated into the overall solution. Therefore, the ambition is for there to be no specialist disability homes or care homes, but instead a highly flexible housing environment that can be easily adapted to different needs of residents.

watch The One for All value programme.

Note. The value programme is in danish