Home elevator creates accessibility in the Olympic champion's dream

Although Johannes Thingnes Bø, one of Norway’s top athletes, may not fit the profile of a typical elevator customer, he had a clear and practical vision in mind when designing his future home. His goal was to ensure that there would be no future obstacles and to think strategically for the long term.

“When we built our dream house,” Johannes explains, “we didn’t want any obstacles to arise in the future but wanted to be wise and think long-term.”

As the Olympic medalist began designing his dream home, he carefully considered how the space could meet his family’s everyday needs. The architect suggested incorporating a residential elevator and highlighted its benefits. Since Johannes and his family highly value inclusivity and the ability to host guests of all ages and mobility levels, he seriously considered installing a villa elevator.

“Now we can welcome friends and families to visit our home, regardless of age. And whether you are in a wheelchair or not, you can visit us and all our three floors. It brings us great joy to say that we have a house that is inclusive and accessible to everyone.”

In life, you can find yourself in different phases, and according to Johannes, an elevator can also provide several other valuable benefits.

“Although I am an elite athlete and fit now, there will come a day when I may depend on using an elevator, which I hope will be an extension of my quality of life.”

 Johannes frequently uses the lift in his daily life. When he came home from the Olympics, he took the elevator up to the top floor with all the heavy medals, and because his training room is located in the basement, the stairs became a challenge after hard training sessions.

“When I came home from the Olympics, I had heavy luggage and many medals, so I had to take the elevator up to the top floor. In addition, I have a training room in the basement, so after tough training sessions, I take the elevator when I go up to shower because it is difficult to walk up the stairs.”

When selecting the elevator model, blending in well with the house’s concrete and walnut aesthetics was essential. The Artico assortment delivered on the criteria.

“When we decided to invest in an elevator for our home, excellent design and functionality were extremely important. We planned it early to get it in the right place. And as I said, we haven’t regretted it for a second.”

With a smile, the goal-oriented athlete expresses that installing an elevator may allow him to grow old and gray in his house for many more years.

It may not be a coincidence that Johannes Thingnes Bø’s villa supplier was Norwegian TKS Heis. When the company realized that the concept of “platform lift” was not familiar to people, they took the initiative to introduce the term “villa lift” to associate with the product.

In recent years, the popularity of residential elevators has increased as more people realize the convenience it brings to their lives.

“We have daily requests for villa lifts,” says Håkon Undheim, Sales and Marketing Manager at TKS Heis.

With the goal of making everyday life easier for its customers, TKS Heis has observed a growing trend in residential elevators. With the shrinking sizes of house lots in Norway, new buildings and renovations are built with two or three stories. According to Håkon, many customers in their fifties who are either purchasing new homes or planning to renovate want to live in their homes for as long as possible.

“People are thinking about the future and prefer to remain in a familiar and comfortable environment. We have seen an increasing trend among people in their fifties constructing homes that can accommodate for the rest of their lives. By installing a residential lift, they can stay and continue living in their homes even when ascending stairs becomes challenging,” says Håkon.

The most popular platform lift that TKS Heis sells is the Aritco HomeLift Compact, and today they install 1-2 platform lifts a week. Håkon Undheim predicts that the figure will double next year.