NCC starts construction of three Swan Ecolabel apartment buildings in Espoo, Finland
At the beginning of the year, NCC will start the construction of three apartment buildings for Espoon Asunnot and Asuntosäätiö in Karakallio, Espoo, which will apply for the Swan Ecolabel. The total value of the contracts is around 20 MEUR.
“With this project we want to demonstrate that with good planning and design also affordable construction can reduce the carbon footprint. NCC has strong experience with Swan Ecolabel construction which guides at implementing sustainable solutions,” says Tuomas Tonteri, Head of Residential production Helsinki area at NCC Building Finland.
Three seven-story blocks are being built on a site that already features an Espoon Asunnot apartment building. The project will give a facelift to the area, with a total of 143 rental and right-of-occupancy flats financed by the Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland (ARA). Construction will begin with clearing-up operations and demolition work. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2022 and the order has been registered in the Building Nordics business area in the fourth quarter of 2020.
“We will construct an owner-occupied site which offers ecological, good-quality and affordable housing. Life cycle thinking is one of our strategic principles when developing modern housing together with our partners. This project will be an excellent example of a sustainable block when completed,” says Turkka Keravuori, construction director at Asuntosäätiö.
Swan Ecolabel criteria considers e.g. environmental friendliness and origin of used construction materials, safeness of chemicals, moisture control and energy efficiency. For construction waste, the project aims at a recycling rate of at least 70% and has set a numeric carbon footprint target of <1250 kgCO2/gross m2/building. The objective is to use solar panels to provide power for all building electricity consumption during the summer period.
“The Swan Ecolabel tells you you’re living in a safe, healthy and comfortable home. In addition, we want to offer the residents options for more sustainable living, for example using screens in the lobbies to provide information, selecting materials carefully, saving energy and promoting cycling. All of these factors also contribute to the project’s carbon footprint,” explains Pirjo Räihä, Housing Director at Espoon Asunnot.