26. March 2020
Recently the IT firm ATEA Norway moved into Karvesvingen 5, along with several other technology companies. The office building is modern and energy efficient, but the smart solutions is the main characteristics of the building.
“We have integrated the various building systems and made use of sensor technology. The smart systems will enhance the work environment and lead to greater efficiency and job satisfaction”, says Jørgen Christoffer Flaa of Höegh Eiendom, who has developed the building jointly with AF Gruppen.
Flaa explains that employees can control many aspects of their day-to-day lives in the office through a dedicated app on their smart phones, including access controls, calling a lift, controlling lighting, booking meeting rooms and deciding where to work. Meanwhile, the building analyses and uses the data it collects to adapt and adjust lighting, HVAC systems and energy consumption.
The building’s IT solutions and data architecture are so unique that there are few similar projects in Europe.
“There are many buildings with individual smart systems. However, in this building data is integrated into a centralised data platform, and there are few, if any, other buildings like it in Europe”, says Jørgen Christoffer Flaa.
Cutting-edge solutions
The IT firm ATEA has contributed with smart technology in the project, and it is also the biggest tenants.
“As a technology company, we’re very pleased to have a smart building as our ‘home’. The building is a window for the smart technology that we offer our customers, and it also provides a good work environment for our employees”, says Michael Jacobs, the CEO of ATEA Norge.
He stresses that the building’s data platform, which is quite unique, is what makes it possible to offer intelligent services to all users of the building.
Innovation in the property industry
New smart buildings represent a big change for the property industry, and Höegh Eiendom has been working for a long time to develop the solutions that make Karvesvingen 5 one of Europe’s smartest buildings.
“We believe that data from the building at Karvesvingen 5 will give a better understanding of how office buildings are used. We want to make use of the insight that we gain to create cutting-edge, tailored offices for our customers”, says Jørgen Christoffer Flaa of Höegh Eiendom.
For a smart building to be successful, the solutions must to be tailored to users, which requires good planning and communication during the construction period.
“It is important for our buildings to provide a good framework for the users, and the technological solutions must meet the needs of both users and owners, as well as being practical from a life cycle perspective. The smart building Karvesvingen 5 demonstrates what can be implemented in a practical, user-friendly way. As consulting engineers for construction projects, we will obviously use these experiences when developing new, cutting-edge building projects”, says Grethe Bergly, CEO of Multiconsult.
Quick facts about the building:
- Karvesvingen 5 has 11 floors, approximately 18,000 m2 of floor area and around 1,000 smart work stations.
- The building has almost 6,000 sensors to measure things like energy, indoor climate and flow of people.
- Light fixtures are connected with data cables and are fitted with temperature and occupancy sensors.
- WiFi access points have built-in Bluetooth and ZigBee antennas, ensuring an IoT network with full coverage.
- Access, lifts and lighting can be controlled from a smart phone. Other functions are also managed from apps.
- A specially developed data platform collects information from building services and sensors, as well as managing things like ventilation and energy consumption.
- The building has been certified to BREEAM-NOR Excellent and is designed to meet passive house standards and achieve energy efficiency class A.
- The building is jointly owned by Höegh Eiendom and AF Gruppen, Multiconsult has been the smart building consultant and LOF Arkitekter AS responsible for the architectural design. Scenario is the interior architect.
- The tenants include the IT company ATEA, Schindler, Signify/Phillips, Brother, Com4 and Ö.