In the “Building Seeks Elevator” project, we are trying out new approaches to find innovative creative solutions to equip old buildings with elevators. A “personal ad” has been placed in which “a building in its prime seeks an elevator for a long-term relationship.”
Maria Erkers, District Manager of the municipal property management company Hyresbostäder i Norrköping, thinks this is a fun, unusual way to solve an old problem. “Many of our tenants have lived in their apartments for many years – some as long as 40 years. Naturally we want them to be able to keep on living there, even when they become elderly and can’t manage the stairs as easily. People in the property-management industry tend to think along traditional lines, and this is a way to generate new ideas. There might be incredibly good ideas sitting around in people’s desk drawers; we hope they emerge through this competition. If we can solve the elevator problem, this means not only that we make it possible for the elderly to stay in their apartments, we also increase the functionality of the buildings, which is an important social dimension of sustainable development.”
■ “Building Seeks Elevator” is a national idea-generating competition with two categories: one for students and one for companies.
■ The problem: many elderly people risk becoming isolated in their own apartments.
■ The originators for the competition are the Municipality of Norrköping and Hälsans Nya Verktyg (New Tools for Health).
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