Facts and specification · Drive Lounge

The building

Prefabricated volume modules in cross-laminated timber, docked on site into one continuous building. Three module types: A is the public gable with entrance and lounge, B is the middle module that extends store and lounge, C is the technical gable with accessible WC, plant room and storage. The building grows sideways by adding B modules.

StructureCross-laminated timber (CLT), self-supporting modules

Åby configurationFour modules in the order A, B, B, C

Åby length11,878 mm

Module width2,940 to 3,000 mm per module

Clear ceiling heightMinimum 2,700 mm in occupied zones

Clear spanAbout 6 metres in depth, no columns in the retail area

Service corridorAbout 1,200 mm along the full rear. Carries power, ventilation, cooling and water concealed to the modules and gives service access without going through the retail area

FoundationSlab on grade, Klara foundation with 200 mm cellular plastic

RoofSedum roof, delaying stormwater and reducing temperature peaks

FacadeVertical timber battens and sheet metal, fully glazed front on modules A and B

GlazingSecurity class P4A or P5A against break-in and vandalism

FireEI 30 or EI 60 depending on position, fire sealing in the module joints

Wet roomAccessible WC to HWC standard, tanking to Swedish GVK and BKR rules

TransportStandard trailer without escort vehicle, modules lifted at four points fully fitted

LoadsDesigned for snow and wind loads in southern and central Sweden and Denmark

Energy and building envelope

The energy balance is calculated in VIP-Energy 5.0.4 against Swedish BBR 31, using Stockholm climate data and 72 square metres of heated floor area. The building clears every requirement with margin and lands in energy class B. The calculation was made during design with a simpler heating solution than the one built. The envelope is the same, while the services listed below are the ones actually installed at Åby.

	Calculated	Requirement, BBR 31
Average U-value	0.31 W/m²K	0.50 W/m²K
Primary energy number, including ventilation allowance	52.7 kWh/m² per year	70.4 kWh/m² per year
Design electrical power	4.1 kW	4.5 kW

Energy classB

External wallCLT with 200 mm mineral wool, U-value 0.18 W/m²K

RoofU-value 0.17 W/m²K

FoundationU-value 0.11 to 0.14 W/m²K

Air tightness0.5 l/s per square metre at 50 Pa

HeatingMitsubishi Ecodan air-to-water heat pump. Outdoor unit PUZ-SWM 80 at 7.3 kW, operating range −15 to +35 °C, Hydrobox FTC7 with 3 plus 6 kW electric backup and a 200 litre buffer tank. Weather-compensated heating curve, room setpoint 22 °C

Comfort coolingThe same water system switches seasonally to a 14 °C chilled circuit distributed through six Swegon CASA Climate CCF-1000 supply air diffusers with water coils and no fan of their own. A condensation guard cuts cooling before condensation can form

VentilationSwegon CASA R7 with heat recovery, three scheduled speeds, carbon dioxide and temperature control and a 0.5 kW reheater. Extract through the WC and accessible WC with boost, minimum 20 l/s

Heating in the WCsRadiators with thermostatic valves, flow temperature at most 45 °C at design outdoor temperature

MeteringA dedicated electricity meter on the heat pump group, read during operating rounds, so performance can be tracked against the calculation

Waste heatRecovered waste heat from the charging station power electronics

LightingLED with presence control inside and out, exterior light directed to limit spill

ElectricitySupplied from the charging site, purchased as renewable

Technology and operations

The site is unstaffed around the clock. Everything normally handled by staff sits in systems: access, payment, supervision and the daily round.

AccessMobile app, QR code or RFID tag. The QR route uses BankID, the app works for visitors without a Swedish personal identity number

PaymentSelf-checkout on site or in the app, card payment

Operating modeThe site is switched between manned and unmanned from the operating system

Price labels486 electronic shelf labels, updated centrally

AlarmAutomatic fire and intruder alarm connected to an alarm centre

CameraCamera surveillance around the clock under GDPR, signed at the entrance and on site

Remote monitoringThe heat pump is followed in MELCloud with alarms, operating data and energy metering, the ventilation unit in the Swegon app with alarms, filter status and air flows. Both speak Modbus and are prepared for a supervisory control system

On callAlarms escalated to on-call staff around the clock

SupervisionAt least once every 24 hours, extra rounds at weekends and peak traffic

Operating systemScheduled checkpoints and rounds, deviations with photographs, task assignment, sign and campaign management, customer ratings by QR code

ReportingThe site owner receives monthly reporting

DeliveriesTwo to three times a week, weekdays between 07:00 and 18:00, unloading on existing hard standing

RangePackaged food and drink in unopened packaging. No preparation or serving takes place on site

Capacity and visitor flow

Visitor traffic comes from the charging station. The building creates no new parking demand and uses the existing entrance and exit.

Opening hoursAround the clock, 365 days a year

Dwell time20 to 40 minutes, set by the charging session

Visitors per day150 to 300 in a normal week. Estimate based on E.ON traffic data for fast charging sites of the same size

SeasonalityPeaks during summer and major holiday travel

ContentsUnmanned store with chilled and frozen units, lounge with seating, tables, USB charging and wifi, public accessible toilet, plant room and restocking space

From contract to open lounge

This is how it went in Åby, the only schedule we can show as an outcome rather than a promise.

20 April 2026Ground lease and maintenance agreement signed with EDRI Sweden AB
23 April 2026Building permit application with operational description submitted
25 April 2026Access to the leased area
May 2026Mobilisation, detailed design and procurement of subcontractors
Week 22Construction start on site: groundworks and foundation
Week 26CLT delivered to the factory, module production under way
Week 33Finished modules delivered to Åby and set in place
Week 34Final consultation and permission to occupy. Opening with staff on site 21 August
Week 35Inauguration 27 August, unattended operation around the clock from then

Seventeen weeks from contract to open lounge. Seven of them are factory time, from the CLT arriving to finished modules standing on site, and that time runs in parallel with groundworks and foundation. The schedule assumes an existing charging site with power, water and drainage brought to the plot.

Where the figures come from

Dimensions and configuration from plan drawing A-40.1-1-0100 and the system description for the module platform. Energy figures from energy balance calculation WO-26002, performed in VIP-Energy 5.0.4 against BBR 31 by Klara Byggsystem through Goverde & Co K-projektering. Services from the control and automation principle diagram, version 0.2 dated 17 July 2026, which is what commissioning was carried out against. Operations, capacity and schedule from the operational description in the building permit application dated 23 April 2026 and from the operating system. The energy calculation is made on a 72 square metre reference building, not on one specific site.