From parking basement to gym — how modern cooperatives think differently

A basement room with new life in Skårerbyen

In Skårerbyen, chair Morten Granhaug took matters into his own hands and did something quite special for his nearly 750 apartments. They converted a basement room in the garage into a full-fledged gym and named it Morten’s Gym. The 250 m² room has state-of-the-art equipment from Technogym and holds everything you need for a proper workout.

“We lease equipment from Technogym, with service and replacement of machines included in the agreement, so everything is always in top condition,” says Granhaug.

According to chair Morten Granhaug, leasing is a more predictable and favourable solution than buying used equipment, both in terms of maintenance and start-up costs.

Community as a driving force

The focus on community and togetherness spreads through the whole cooperative, not just the gym. In cooperation with Selvaag AS, Skårerbyen has hired what they call a neighbourhood host. The host sits in the lounge area, on the floor above the gym. Beyond staffing the area from 9 to 5, she organises several activities for the residents.

“Every Friday we have coffee and waffles for those who are home, so they can meet in the lounge and chat a bit,” says Granhaug.

There are more activities in the evenings. Next on the programme is an evening of sushi and wine tasting that residents can sign up for. Dinners are also served at regular intervals for those who want them, and the prices are very reasonable, says chair Morten Granhaug. The lounge area has café tables, sofa groups and a TV with all channels.

Chair Morten Granhaug says the lounge has been popular for watching the Olympics together with other residents, and that it is also used frequently to watch football matches in the evenings. There is no doubt that such initiatives create a fantastic sense of community, and Morten is very pleased with the feedback he has received from residents.

Digital access without keys

Running a gym can be challenging and time-consuming. In Skårerbyen they therefore chose a solution that makes access easy to manage digitally. It only took one extra device to give the gym the same digital access as the garage.

With over 120 members and rising sign-ups, chair Morten Granhaug is optimistic about the future of the gym, and plans to offer sessions with a personal trainer once they pass 150 members. With digital access management, memberships are easy to administer and access can be adjusted as needed.

“Here you have control over who has access and who doesn’t. We can grant access for a limited period, and it’s very convenient that it also works on the garage door,” he says.

Morten wants as many residents as possible to get off the sofa and into the gym, and does his best to make that easy. Membership costs 299 kroner a month, with a short notice period of just one month, so that everyone has the chance to join.

A garage can be more than parking

A garage can be much more than just a place to park. When access is managed digitally, it becomes easier to use the common areas in new ways — whether for exercise, social meeting places or rental — without it having to mean more hassle for the board.