BoKlok UK

The UK arm of BoKlok, a joint venture of Skanska and IKEA, building low-cost, factory-made homes for people on average incomes.

About BoKlok UK

BoKlok UK builds homes that are made mostly in a factory and then put together on site. It is part of BoKlok, a venture owned jointly by the construction company Skanska and the furniture company IKEA. Homes are timber-frame apartments and houses with one to three bedrooms, and they come with IKEA kitchens and furnishings. As much of each home as possible is built indoors, so work on site can start as soon as the modules arrive. Small apartment blocks can be assembled very quickly, and roofs go on fast to protect them from the weather. The UK range has been described as certified under BOPAS, a standard for offsite building.

The idea began in the early 1990s in Sweden, when IKEA and Skanska became joint owners, and the first homes were completed in 1997. BoKlok has built around 11,000 to 12,000 homes in Scandinavia. When it arrived in the UK in 2019, its stated aim was sustainable, quality, low-cost home ownership. A May 2020 trade article repeats that goal as providing quality, low-cost homes for people on average incomes. Its local press releases speak of giving local people a route to owning their own home. Graeme Culliton was named managing director and country manager of BoKlok UK in 2020.

Its UK sites have been in southern England. The first plans were in Worthing, West Sussex, where the council approved up to 162 homes and was due to keep around 30% for social housing. Reports in 2019 and 2020 also described a Bristol scheme and a first group of three development sites. A BoKlok press release lists "BoKlok by the Park" in Littlehampton, where the first phase of two- and three-bedroom family homes is on sale and 112 homes are planned. In 2020 the company appointed TopHat, a modular maker, as a supply partner, though that partner later ran into difficulties, so we cannot say who builds the homes now.

The sources we read say little about internal culture, and none quote BoKlok UK staff on it. The company's own message is about affordability, quick building and homes designed around the people who live in them. Part of its approach is to sell most homes itself through a ballot system, with first-time buyers in mind, and it has promised mortgages priced to be affordable for a single parent.

People at a developer like this work in site management, quality control, planning and design, customer sales, land buying and community relations, as well as in the factory and logistics chains behind the modules. Because BoKlok sits inside two large groups, some of these roles may be in Skanska or IKEA teams, so check the BoKlok UK website for the current structure and its newest sites. Our evidence on current sites is not dated.

What they do

• {'desc': 'Timber-frame apartments and houses with one to three bedrooms, built mainly in a factory.', 'title': 'Factory-built homes'}
• {'desc': 'Homes sold mostly by ballot to local people, with a share for social housing on some schemes.', 'title': 'Affordable ownership'}
• {'desc': 'Homes come with IKEA kitchens and furnishings.', 'title': 'Fitted interiors'}

Key facts

• BoKlok began in the early 1990s as a Skanska and IKEA venture; first homes completed in 1997
• Around 11,000 to 12,000 homes built in Scandinavia (sources differ)
• UK sites named include Worthing, Bristol and Littlehampton (112 homes planned there)
• Graeme Culliton named managing director in 2020

Website: www.boklok.com