Our assignment
The first tenants moved into Gröna Skrapan in October 2010. Skanska carried out the project on a proprietary basis and was responsible for project development, financing, project planning, construction, letting and management of the property.
Tenants can benefit from first-rate services, state-of-the-art sound, lighting, design and technical solutions. Energy-efficient ventilation and heat recovery reduces the total building costs.
The premises are modern with large, open areas for open-plan offices, high ceilings and service in the form of common reception areas and conference facilities. Restaurants and cafés are available in the building in addition to a carpool and many other services.
“We acquired the site in a swap back in 2004 because of its excellent location. Under normal circumstances, we identify a number of tenants with whom we sign contracts, but on this occasion, we commenced construction work without signing a single rental agreement. We saw that there was considerable demand for modern and green premises in Gothenburg and were courageous enough to invest in the project despite the depressed business climate,” relates Henrik Ahnström, Project Manager at Skanska.
Construction process
The foundation work was not easy; Gothenburg is known for its clayey subsoil that can be troublesome for all construction companies. Furthermore, the site was split by a utility easement for electricity supply into the central city districts.
During the foundation work, movement was detected in the sheet piles and standard piles, but thanks to Skanska’s skilled geotechnical engineers, the project could be safely completed.
Another challenge was the height of the building. Construction of such a tall building involves risks in terms of safety and logistics. The strong winds that occasionally occurred represented a huge challenge in terms of safety when working on such a unique structure. It was vital that work is performed by the right employees with the right know-how.
Particular focus was therefore assigned to pre-task planning and safety. Logistics also presents a challenge when constructing tall buildings. Capacity is restricted by the number of cranes and elevators, thus requiring careful planning of material supplies.
Gröna Skrapan has a unique façade with integrated solar protection between a double window structure. To minimize energy escaping through the large façade area, air-tightness was of crucial importance. We therefore built a full-scale model outside the worksite in order to test various solutions and to conduct pressure testing; all to achieve the best possible results in terms of technical solutions and assembly. When the building was completed, we carried out a pressure test and the results attained were favorable.
A focus on the environment characterized the entire project. We carried out extensive analyses to determine the best, most economical and environmentally compatible solutions in the long term. For example, we spent a little more money on the ventilation system, since this would be repaid many times over in the years ahead.
Gröna Skrapan is pre-certified to the highest level in accordance with the international LEED environmental rating system. Although this did not significantly impact the construction process according to Henrik Ahnström.
“LEED was introduced at a very late stage in the project, so the construction process was already well under way. LEED was not used as a project planning tool in this project, but rather as an assessment tool. We are very proud to have received confirmation of our environmental commitment. What we are doing is right; it is green.”
The project in figures
• The tall building is 60 meters in height and has 16 stories.
• The two lower buildings have six stories.
• About 600-700 workplaces.
• Energy consumption is 25-percent lower than the standard set by the National Swedish Board of Building, Planning and Housing (Boverket).
• Impact on the environment is 60-percent lower than office buildings from the 1970s.
Customer comments
“If feels really good to work in a building in the knowledge that those who constructed it did their utmost to reduce its environmental footprint. The internal environment is also important to us, and I don’t think there is a better work environment out there. Our choice of office has received a great deal of attention from customers and partners.”
Leontine Ridderstad, Office Manager at the IT company PTC
