Ikea Village Without the Allen Key

A new community of 93 pre-fab houses designed by Ikea is popping up as we read this, and you won't need to worry about putting it together. Ikea has teamed up with a British builder and they are making Swedish style prefabs for moderate income key workers such as nurses and teachers. Seen as a way for them to get onto the property ladder, these houses will sell for $260,000 for a two bedroom townhouse. Assembled in a factory nearby, they get to the site ready to be bolted together and take about 16 weeks from start to completion.

The system is called BoKlok (Ikea speak for smart living) and was developed in conjunction with Ikea. Already in Glasgow, and now in Gateshead, the houses and apartments are designed with British and Ikea architects, built of sustainable materials and are energy efficient. They claim to use good planning principles in the surrounding community with lots of green space and parks, recycling facilities, and close to public transport. You even get a voucher for $500 worth of Ikea products and a session with their interior designer. :: Guardian