The definition of sustainability is to make sure something is able to evolve and be maintained without harming the environment. The Powerhouse Kjorbo building in Norway was able to live up to the literal definition of sustainability by reusing two buildings from the 1980s. The Powerhouse Kjorbo was called “the world’s most environmentally friendly office building”.
Various companies were involved in the creation of this eco-friendly building through the “Powerhouse Alliance”, a project started in 2011 to create energy positive buildings in Norway. Some companies that are part of the alliance are: Snohetta, Asplan Viak, Entra, Skanska, Hydro, Sapa, ZERO. Most of these companies are local, that is why they have those unique Norwegian names. Snohetta was the main company involved in the redesign of the buildings. They are an international architectural, landscape, interior design, and brand design office based in Oslo, Norway. They have been operating for more than 30 years with the purpose of combining architecture and landscape architecture into a single design process where both would combine smoothly. The Powerhouse Kjorbo was the first renovation project of the Powerhouse Alliance.
The outstanding fact about the Powerhouse Kjorbo is that the building is not just carbon neutral, but it is an energy positive building. Being energy-positive is way more difficult and complex than net-zero, it means that the building has extra energy to give off while taking into account the life span of the building. After the renovation of both buildings, there was an 86% decrease in energy consumption.
Powerhouse Kjorbo is built over grass and it takes up to 5,200 square meters. The building is estimated to consume around 250kWh per square meter each year. The roof is packed with numerous solar panels that collect around 200,000 kWh per year, which is a lot more energy needed for the building annually.
The building ensures low energy consumption through efficient ventilation, insulation and lightning. Snohetta installed energy wells that are used for heating and cooling throughout the entire year. The heating and cooling systems are also programmed to only be used when needed, the number of sensors and control units is limited to a minimum. They naturally draw in warm and cold air to regulate the temperature inside the building. Along with the energy wells, the building is connected to one of Norway’s largest solar cell plants. The windows were changed to make them tight fitting and they also have a shade to prevent the temperature rising inside the building. The new windows also permit a great amount of natural lightning to enter the building. Additionally, the building has bicycle parking and charging stations for electric cars.
The office’s interior is very modern with spiral staircases that also work as ventilation shafts. It is said that the life expectancy of the Powerhouse Kjorbo is 60 years. During those years the building will have generated enough energy to cover the total amount of energy used to produce the building materials, construction, operation and disposal.
The Powerhouse Kjorbo in Oslo, Norway is a pilot project for other energy-plus buildings. All the companies that took part in the creation of the building believe that Powerhouse Kjorbo is showing that it is possible to construct a building that helps the environment by being a positive energy building, and it also helps financially. Powerhouse Kjorbo received a rating of outstanding by the BREEAM-NOR (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology) environmental certification system. This is probably one of the first energy plus buildings constructed in the world by reusing an older building.
It is wonderful that companies were able to come together to design a building like this one. Renovating an existing old building was a surprising start that gave the whole project a head start in the concept of sustainability. The exterior walls are dark burned wood, which is extremely beneficial in terms of conservation of energy inside the building. However, even though the exterior of the building is a little plain and simple, the interior of the building shows how aesthetically pleasing a green building is able to be. All the materials used for construction and everything that went into the interior design is from the highest environmental standards, even the carpeting!
The specific costs of the project haven’t been released to the public yet. The tenant (Asplan Viak) has signed a 10 year renting contract. The cost of rent is higher that an average office building. However, after you take into account the amount of energy saved each year, the price ends up being similar to a rent for an average office building.
The Powerhouse Kjorbo is an excellent example for many buildings in the future. They brought the correct definition of sustainability to life. Each aspect of the building is well designed to be sustainable during many years to come. In fact, the Powerhouse Alliance is already working in other energy-plus buildings.
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