[Fokus] Project

Do you remember your math teacher? Or do you remember the actual classroom? According to modern studies, the environment is just as important as the teacher when it comes to education. Health, concentration and results are all factors with major improvement thanks to a modern environment containing lots of natural light. A successful example of this is the S-house in Halmstad University, and the building achieved the certification Miljöbyggnad Silver.

“All our students are everyone’s students”, is the guiding motto of Johan Skytte School in Älvsjö. We respect differences here and work proactively with basic values. Security and the ability to study without disturbance are essential, and our premises play a large part in this. A new school building for students from pre-school class up to year 9 was opened in autumn 2019 at Johan Skytte School. What makes this building special is that it is divided into small communities. In other words, small schools within the larger school. The central aim is to provide creative and secure learning environments for children.

The new Bagartorp School in Solna opened in August 2021. The school now teaches 360 students in fresh new premises that provide an ideal foundation for learning and development. It is also the first Nordic Swan ecolabelled school In Stockholm, proving that it has one of the lowest environmental impacts in the sector. The project uses glass facades and windows from Sapa.

There are many reasons why we should always think of restoration when it comes to “new” projects. One is the historical value of a building, we can learn a lot from old buildings in terms of history, architecture, design and the old way of living. Another reason is sustainability. We must be considerate to the resources we already have, and make sure we contribute to a circular economy.

The former steam power plant is an elegant brick building located in Västerås. Back in the days, the plant was one of Sweden’s energy suppliers, and for a long time it was left unused – until a couple of visionaries saw another type of energy in the building. Today it’s not only a tourist attraction, it’s a destination.

Education is undeniably important for our future. A child’s learning shapes people of tomorrow. Scientific studies show that the environment of a school has a positive impact on the student (and teachers) wellbeing - it reduces stress, school absence and some even say environment is a key factor when it comes to student’s performance. Lindesberg municipality made their largest investment in history, making sure Lindbackaskolan will have the best conditions for the students and their future.

Universally designed to accommodate everyone – Torvbråten Skole is a place both for learning, and to learn from. There’s sometimes a narrow sliver on cognitive development, traditional subjects such as match and reading are often thought of when it comes to children’s education. Learning is not only academic, it’s also social and emotional. The school set high environmental standards, both regarding the environmental architecture and social sustainability.

Working with real estate development, one need’s to be able to wear many hats. To know a little bit about everything is important since the business isn’t solely about a building – it’s about the entire community evolving around it. In this business, one needs to think about location, purpose and never the least sustainability. We’ve been fortunate to have been involved with local pioneers when delivering products to a new bathhouse in Ålesund. While it might seem as a very regular building project, there’s much more to be told about the story.

The architecture of well-being is not something new. Some would say it already started in the beginning of early 20th century as a part of the modern movement. Healthy housing was a core concept already then, and a lot of buildings were built in the endeavor to improve well-being through design. The common thread of this type of architecture is copious amounts of natural light, views of the outside and the use of top modern technology. Lindesberg Hälsocenter is no exception, the building was designed with modern technology tools such as daylight simulation, energy calculations and analyses of microclimate etc.

Large areas of glass, plenty of daylight and open views are the foundations of the greenest school in Norway. Thanks to the use of natural materials and bold environmental choices the award-winning building that houses the new Horten high school sets the standard for the future.