The Bikuben Foundation

Bikuben Kollegiet Ørestad – A fund-owned dormitory
In 2001, 'Kollegiefonden Bikuben' (The Bikuben Foundation) was founded with the purpose of constructing and operating dormitories. The grounds for this is the desire to make as good housing conditions as possible available to the students, so that they can focus on improving their skills. There are now Bikuben dorms in Odense, Aalborg, Copenhagen and New York.

Bikuben Kollegiet Ørestad was complete in 2006. The impressive building was designed by AART Architects and is the result of an international competition in architecture about the future of dormitories.

The dormitory is placed in the heart of Amager close by Islands Brygge and has space for 113 residents distributed across 107 apartments - of these four are handicap-friendly and four are two bedroom apartments with space for a small family. Every apartment has its own kitchen- and bathroom facilities. All residents have access to the lounges, fitness center, party hall and large terraces with a view of Copenhagen's towers.

The origin of the Bikuben Foundation
Sparekassen Bikuben (The Savings Bank Bikuben) was established in 1857, and did not only have the business purpose of running a bank - it also had to devote parts of its profits for non-profit purposes. It was Sparekassen Bikuben, which founded the Bikuben Foundation in 1989, and the mission statement of Sparekassen Bikuben's is continued today. This is reflected in the by-laws of the Bikuben Foundation and in the broad-spectred efforts for culture, education, social issues and nature and the environment.

The Bikubenfonden is an independent, commercial foundation that distributes funds from the foundation's returns and assets for the benefit of society, primarily within culture and social purposes.

The common thread in the Bikubenfonden's multitude of activities is the ambition to promote insight and vision in society via the support and development of projects of high quality and lasting value for Danish society. In addition to allocating funds for projects within culture and social purposes, the Bikubenfonden also develops its own projects, including the awards Reumert of the Year, the Crown Prince Couple Awards and the Vision Exhibition Award. As part of the vision that the foundation must be actively engaged in the care and conservation of Danish nature, the Bikubenfonden owns and operates the Svanninge Bjerge nature area in South Funen.

Bikuben Foundation social work
The Bikubenfonden, which owns the college, works to create positive changes in society. The college is run with the main aim of offering students a good base during their studies, but is also used in the Bikubenfonden's social work to stop homelessness among young people. This means that the foundation has set aside 10 dormitory places for young people who have been on the fringes of society. The young people who are admitted to these places come from Copenhagen Municipality's youth project and are chosen based on a plan that they will be able to become students themselves within a year. They get massive professional and social support to function well at the college - both from the Municipality of Copenhagen and from their socially strong fellow colleagues.