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The Cultural Facilitators' Digital Bridge to Stronger Communities
By Ida Borch, Head of Communications at Evryone Group
At AKF, tech and community intersect in a vision that extends beyond the boundaries of the property. With Kirkebjerg Søpark in Brøndby and the cultural center Kernen at its heart, AKF has created a model for the digitally supported housing communities of the future.
This case highlights the ambitions behind the AKF Fællesskab, a community app, which is built on Wicomico's technology. In Kirkebjerg Søpark, it serves as a platform where physical and digital communities merge seamlessly, partly through cultural facilitators inviting the surrounding community into the app and the cultural center Kernen – in English, The Core.
CEO in AKF, Ino Dimsits, firmly believes that community is a cornerstone of real estate development: "At a time when loneliness and social disconnection affect many, we must rethink the concept of living," he states. “For us, it’s about more than apartments – it’s about shaping homes and connecting communities. When we succeed, we foster safety, well-being, and an improved quality of life for our residents.”
This vision has been realized in Kirkebjerg Søpark, a new district in Brøndby, located west of Copenhagen. Anchored by the cultural center Kernen as its physical hub and supported by the app as its digital backbone, AKF has established an ecosystem designed to inspire and encourage participation.
“The AKF Fællesskab app embodies this concept,” explains Jesper Scheuer, CEO of Wicomico. “We’ve developed a solution that not only facilitates engagement but also provides a scalable technological framework that AKF can implement across properties and neighborhoods.”
The physical community in Kirkebjerg Søpark is closely tied to Kernen and its two cultural facilitators, Andrea Ricketts and Cecilie Paulsen. Andrea describes their role this way: "We see ourselves as bridge builders. We help create relationships among residents and act as a contact point for AKF."
The cultural facilitators work closely with residents to foster sustainable communities. "We help get things started, but our goal is for residents to take ownership," says Cecilie. "It's about creating structures where the community can thrive, even after we step back."
Their approach to community-building is twofold - both within and beyond Kernen. Andrea explains: "We organize facilitated events but also focus on enabling user-driven activities. There must be opportunities for groups to meet around shared interests independently, while we create spaces and initiate activities that residents and users can then continue on their own."
Andrea and Cecilie, both graduates in performance design from Roskilde University, bring years of project management experience in creating environments where communities can emerge and flourish. Their work is rooted in a deep understanding of how to foster life and belonging within a community. Andrea elaborates: "The facilitated activities ensure a consistent level of engagement and quality, while the user-driven initiatives allow organic growth. It's the balance between the facilitated and non-facilitated that truly enables a community to thrive."
There are numerous examples of this approach in action, with user-driven initiatives often springing from existing associations. For instance, a resident who was already a member of Repair Café Denmark started a local Repair Café, which now attracts visitors from across Brøndby. Another initiative, Grønne Nabofællesskaber (Sustainable Neighbour Communities), was developed in collaboration with a local resident. On the facilitated side, activities include concerts, events, and strategic partnerships, such as collaborations with the municipal culture department, including potential projects with the local music school for concerts and the use of rehearsal rooms.
With the AKF Fællesskab app, they have gained a digital space to fill with people and activities: groups, events, associations, clubs, bookings of shared facilities, and much more.
During the initial years of the AKF Fællesskab’s development, residents of Kirkebjerg Søpark have been gradually introduced to the app, with new residents automatically receiving an AKF Fællesskab profile upon moving in. At the same time, the surrounding community is continuously invited to join the app, ensuring that the life around Kernen becomes an integral part of the broader local area - a life that stands on the shoulders of the strong community spirit that already exists in Brøndby and Greater Copenhagen West.
The AKF Fællesskab app is designed to serve as a catalyst for collaboration, dialogue, and engagement, embodying AKF’s core values, which are deeply rooted in a strong community focus. With historical ties to the labour movement and a contemporary emphasis on sustainability, AKF’s values extend to fostering both interpersonal connections and environmentally sustainable practices in the built environment. This commitment was recently recognized with the Sustainability Award 2024 at the EJENDOM2024 summit.
A fundamental value at AKF is integrity, which is also reflected in the role of the cultural facilitators. Cecilie and Andrea view it as part of their responsibility to ensure that this value shapes the tone and interactions within AKF Fællesskab. Their aim is to create an environment that is friendlier and more solution-oriented than the public social media groups that often operate alongside AKF Fælleskab. The hosts have observed a growing trend of residents opting out of local Facebook groups in favour of engaging through AKF Fællesskab.
With a profile on AKF Fællesskab, anyone - both residents of Kirkebjerg Søpark and people from the surrounding community—can use the app to book shared facilities like Orangeriet, organize communal dinners, create events, and share resources with each other. Andrea elaborates: "One of the most positive things is how much the app is used to share and swap things and help each other with answers to all kinds of questions. The benefit of this is that it starts conversations and brings people closer together. It makes it easier to ask someone to watch your kids in the playground and more natural to wave to your neighbour on the balcony across the street."
The process requires both patience and flexibility from the cultural facilitators. Cecilie explains how residents often benefit from a gentle nudge in the right direction: "We organize workshops and idea development meetings where we help them start groups and initiatives. Once they're up and running, we often see that they take it further themselves."
Jesper Scheuer highlights this as one of the app's key strengths: "The platform should both support practical needs and promote the small interactions that ultimately build communities. It's not a replacement for the physical meeting, but an extension of it."
Kirkebjerg Søpark is just the starting point. Using the AKF Fællesskab app as its digital infrastructure, AKF is already expanding the concept to other areas. An upcoming project at Hvidovre Station will build on the experience from Kirkebjerg Søpark and unlock even more opportunities.
"We see great value in combining physical communities with digital solutions," says Ino Dimsits. "It's the future - not just for AKF, but for the entire real estate industry."
The partnership between Wicomico and AKF demonstrates how technology and human connections can come together to create impactful housing solutions. AKF views Kirkebjerg Søpark as a model for the residential areas of the future, because, as Ino Dimsits explains: “We believe it is the future. It’s not just about buildings; it’s about quality of life. When people feel safe and connected, it creates a better living environment for everyone.”