Our assignment
This project is a partnership collaboration, which means that everyone is taking more responsibility and is communicating closely with the client. At the start of the project we worked hard to clarify responsibilities and get everyone to see and think about the big picture. That has resulted in smooth cooperation.
Another reason that the project is working well is that our client, Tunabyggen, has hired a project coordinator to handle day-to-day questions. She serves as a link between residents, contractors and the client’s technical and operational organization. Questions both large and small are dealt with and the residents feel secure as they get quick responses.
The buildings on Betesgatan need to be thoroughly renovated, just like most of the housing areas in the million homes program. We are renovating surface finishes in the apartments, replacing windows and adding additional insulation. Other aspects of the project include renovation of main plumbing lines and wet areas, new stairways and the installation of elevators.
Every building is gaining an additional floor. We are using existing pathways for new service lines resulting in Tunabyggen getting new apartments at a much lower cost than if they had constructed an entirely new building.
Construction process
We are working actively to adapt the buildings to ensure accessibility and have received assistance from the municipal disability council. Wheelchair-bound and vision-impaired individuals have toured the spaces and tested accessibility, including things such as the height of thresholds, easily accessible switches and the width of door openings.
“One thing we learned from Betesgatan is how to display house numbers. Initially, we placed white numbers on glass. For the vision-impaired person who was here and inspected, they were a blurry haze. She suggested a contrasting color around the edge of the numbers. This is a detail that makes a big difference in everyday life, and one that we are passing that on to other projects,” explains Johan Karlsson, a project engineer at Skanska.
Energy efficiency
Thanks to a new ventilation system, Tunabyggen will be realizing major energy savings over the long term. We are switching from a mechanical exhaust system to an FTX system, which includes exhaust and supply air ventilation with heat recovery. Replacement windows and additional insulation are also contributing to lower energy usage.
At the start of the project we held meetings with the tenants’ association, police, landlords and contractors. One idea that will contribute to a more secure living environment is to tear down the rows of old garages and face new ones towards the housing units, allowing residents a view of their own cars, which will minimize vandalism.
Discussions during these meetings have also impacted the renovation of the laundry rooms. The booking system that is being installed will allow only the person that is doing laundry access to the laundry room.
A sense of well-being is also important. We have rebuilt the courtyards and adapted them to the adjacent park area. The playgrounds have turned out very nice, and the garbage buildings have received nice sedum roofs.
Action plan for damaged concrete
In conjunction with surveying the status of the balconies, we used a concrete inventory tool from Miljonhemmet. We also consulted with a design engineer regarding those damages that we were unable to evaluate ourselves. That work resulted in our developing an action plan for the balconies in conjunction with a supplier of concrete repair products.
What our client thinks
“The Betesgatan project is a successful example of how, working closely with a contractor, it is possible to create additional apartments while simultaneously renovating the existing stock, and in so doing improve accessibility to modern standards. The project as a whole, including both building and landscaping projects, will give a boost to the entire Bullermyren area and create a safe and pleasant area.”
Pernilla Bergkvist, Property Manager, AB Stora Tunabyggen
