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The sustainability profile of Økern Portal stretches from energy-efficient heating and innovative sensor technology for energy savings to rooftop beehives and indoor biophilic design
The construction of Økern Portal was completed in 2021, and over 80 000 square meters of sustainable building is now welcoming a variety of companies as well as the local community in Økern, Oslo. The building contains a mix of flexible offices, restaurants, a hotel, everyday amenities, sports and wellness facilities, and in- and outdoor greenery. This BREEAM certified commercial building is built to be smart, efficient, and green. It not only speaks to its visitors in terms of its modern and attractive design but also in terms of its care for people’s well-being.
The building
The building process started in early 2019 with a clear focus on sustainability and interaction between business and everyday life. About three years later, the doors of Økern Portal have opened, inviting its tenants as well as the local community. The building consists of four bodies. Three of them are connected in the formation of a letter “U”, and the last one is located at the inner square and called the pavilion. A fifth structure is being raised in 2022 and will host a new hotel.
Økern Portal is a hub in the suburb Økern in Oslo, connecting public transportation and offering a mix of offices, apartments, wining, and dining. The part of the building, which is a multisport facility, is intended to serve as a meeting point for both physical activity and other events.
Sustainability, greenery, and humidity
The sustainability profile of Økern Portal stretches from energy-efficient heating and innovative sensor technology for energy savings to rooftop beehives and indoor biophilic design. Greenery and other natural materials indoors have a soothing effect on people. The sense of comfort and wellbeing increase when we feel connected to nature. Bringing the outdoors nature in, especially in the Nordics, have a positive impact on the indoor environment, the building, and its people, as plants and trees increase humidity.
Challenges
The construction of Økern Portal, with its size of over 80 000 m2, has had a number of challenges since the building was to be completed in a short period of time. Thanks to good planning and communication between the various suppliers, the challenges were solved, and Økern Portal was completed on time, and the tenants could move in as planned.
The project is also one of the largest buildings Swegon has delivered its demand-controlled indoor climate system WISE to. This is a prefabricated solution providing a high level of detail, enabling an innovative and energy-efficient solution with “smart” functionality.
Swegon contributes to sustainability
One aspect of sustainability is the products and solutions chosen to minimise the strain on the environment. Swegon, with its energy-efficient and high-quality products, developed for a long service time, is a key supplier in this building project. Økern Portal is supplied with 2400 Swegon WISE Parasol comfort modules, 41 Swegon GOLD air handling units and acoustic products. Additionally, Swegon provided sensor technology throughout the building, managing the indoor climate smartly and energy efficiently via WISE. This type of solution ensures optimal indoor environmental quality, which in turn positively affects productivity and allows people to feel their best.
Design and calculations
Design and calculation of the HVAC installations were performed by Multiconsult (former Erichsen & Horgen AS). The company worked as a consulting engineer in HVAC, energy, and daylight. On behalf of the construction company, Vedal, they made a requirement specification for the purchase of technical contractors (ventilation and pipes). The assignment then continued to the subcontractors to carry out the detailed design of the technical systems.
The CAD tool used for design and calculation was Revit with MagiCAD for Revit applications for Ventilation, Piping, and Schematics facilitating the design phase in several ways:
- Effective coordination with other areas in the project group
- Collision control and quantity lists to help ensure quality
- Fast and good balancing, dimensioning and calculation
- Thanks to MagiCAD, the entire building is calculated, which gives more accurate results.
System solution
The Plugin AHU-Design by Swegon was used for inserting real units into MagiCAD for Revit model. This means that in addition to the correct dimensions and design, it is also possible to make more complete calculations as the units that are imported have information about pressure sound and flows. With the help of the Plugin, 41 GOLD air handling units were imported into the model. GOLD is a compact unit with included control equipment, low energy consumption and many smart functions. The units communicate with Swegon’s demand controlled indoor climate system, WISE, to reduce pressure drops and noise.
Airflows, cooling and heating, are controlled by WISE. It is a complete system with all the products needed for the indoor climate, including a smart control system and an easy-to-use user interface.
Mainly comfort modules, WISE Parasol, and air diffusers with WISE functions integrated have been used in the climate system. Temperatures and flows are controlled with the help of presence and CO2 levels. At the zone level, WISE dampers have been used, which, in addition to the correct pressure and flow, also provide the opportunity for pressure optimisation.
The entire facility is also connected to Swegon Connect, which means that you can monitor and control the facility via remote connection. This is an important feature in the increasingly advanced system solutions. Changes and troubleshooting of the system can be done immediately, and you can easily connect different specialists even though they are not in place.
