Midtbanebrinken: From vision to sustainable senior oasis
Partner Henrik Høpner and Attorney Daniel Boalth Petersen have travelled to Hvalsø to inspect a project they have been working on for over five years. It started with a vague idea and a somewhat random call from one of the future residents, but now the two lawyers can see the distinctive wooden houses that have become a reality after a long series of challenges.
The desire to be together as seniors
The vision first emerged on New Year's Eve 2017 when friends, all in their late 60s or 70s, agreed to embark on an adventure. They wanted to shape their retirement with a newly built senior co-housing community.
Perhaps many others have had similar discussions with good friends, but it didn’t stop at just talking. The friends began seriously discussing how such a structure should be. They all agreed that they wanted to build it themselves, make it as sustainable as possible, and have a train station nearby. The mission was to find a plot in Zealand where they could realise their dream of building a sustainable senior co-housing community where they could live closely together while still having the possibility of privacy.
In the spring of 2018, they chose the plot in Hvalsø, west of Lejre, with views of fields, a lake, a forest, and within walking distance of shops and a train station. The "Midtbanebrinken" project was now truly underway, and the friends contacted Henrik and Daniel for legal assistance with the project.
Informal discussions of complex legal issues
Henrik and Daniel, specialists in the legal aspects of real estate, were involved from the start and advised the residents on everything from establishing a homeowners association with foundation subdivisions, coordinating with the land surveyor, special issues regarding the establishment of the common house owners association, tax and VAT issues, discussions with financial advisors, challenges with the local plan and disputes arising from it, to construction law challenges and the buying and selling of real estate, etc.
“It has been a very exciting process, where we have dealt with and advised on aspects, some of which were typical for a project like this, and others we certainly did not see coming when the project was initiated,” Daniel explains.
Can a new house have a chimney?
One of the challenges the project faced was the municipality's refusal to allow the houses to have chimneys, which were originally part of the initial designs. This was the final political decision after a long tug-of-war with the municipality. The house designs and the local plan were otherwise in place, but now the houses had to be altered to have different heating sources without fireplaces and chimneys, which contributed to extending the process.
The challenge with the chimneys, however, provided an opportunity to change the project. “We agreed that we wanted to build as sustainably as possible, so since we had to redo all the drawings anyway, we discussed in the meantime whether the houses should be made of wood instead of brick. So, we now had the opportunity to change it, even though the process was extended,” says Bente Nielsen, who now lives in the co-housing community.
Midtbanebrinken and Lund Elmer Sandager
Henrik and Daniel have helped the residents with all the legal aspects from start to finish, which they see as a great advantage: “We have been involved from day one, which has made many of the processes easier. We have known the vision and the financial conditions of the individual residents and have been able to address many issues in advance,” Henrik explains.
The residents say they felt safe throughout the process and particularly highlight one thing: “What we especially appreciated about Henrik and Daniel was their genuine interest in our project,” the residents say and continue: “When we called with a challenge, we felt that they thoroughly understood the situation and were interested in solving it in our best interest – it wasn’t just standard answers.”
“We did it!”
When asked if they would have done anything differently, resident Annick responds: “The major challenges, such as COVID-19, rising material prices, and issues with the municipality, were beyond our control, so we are generally satisfied with our approach and decisions.” Despite the challenges and tough decisions, the project has been worth it: “It has turned out just as fantastic as we hoped. We did it – and we’re still good friends,” the residents conclude unanimously.
What is the senior co-housing community Midtbanebrinken?
Midtbanebrinken is a co-housing community where good friends have come together to create a lifestyle in which each resident has a smaller private home but enjoys large shared spaces where they can interact.
The communal areas include a large kitchen, a living room, a workshop, an orangery, and a room for overnight guests.
The residents typically have dinner together in the common house every Wednesday, and they hold a community meeting every Sunday to discuss various matters. There is no need for a "booking calendar" if someone wants to celebrate a birthday in the common house. They simply agree on the arrangements and discuss any necessary changes as they arise.
At the time of writing, a few plots are still available for building new houses for any potential new residents who share the dream of living in a community close to nature in the small town of Hvalsø, west of Roskilde.
