Nordicum - Real Estate Annual Finland 2012 | Page 49

edges that there has been a learning curve
of sorts – at first, BIM was utilised in some
parts of the process, and there were systems
running side by side that were not always
compatible.
“Taking the entire process and putting it under BIM from start to finish has
made the difference,” he says. Along the
way, Skanska first encouraged designers to
“go BIM” and supported the transition to
the new ways – and now BIM is simply required.
“In our projects, we use the best BIM
designers there are,” Pitkänen says.
Talking about the benefits of BIM, Pitkänen points out that the information model
approach is so versatile it can improve operations across the board. Whether you’re talking
about product volume, safety or acquisitions
BIM helps you to stay on top of the situation.
“Looking ahead, we see BIM being
used more and more also in the property
management phase. That is one direction we
are keen on exploring.”

Platinum Power
BIM also helps to shrink down the carbon footprint – which is another forte for
Skanska Commercial Development Finland. Pitkänen says that CDF is aiming to
get a Platinum Level LEED certificate for
all four buildings in Manskun Rasti – and
as one would guess, Platinum is as high as
you can go.
Pitkänen knows what he is talking
about, too: CDF’s very first project, Lintulahti office building in Helsinki received a
Platinum Level LEED certificate already in
2010 – marking the first time an office building project in Europe achieved such a feat.
By now, LEED (Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design) Green Building
Rating System is no stranger to anybody in
the real estate industry. Developed in 2000
by the US Green Building Council, LEED
has spread all around the world. Under the
system, each building is assessed using six
different criteria: sustainable land use, water usage, energy efficiency, selection of materials and recycling, indoor air and new innovations in the design process.
Pitkänen is confident that Skanska
can repeat Lintulahti’s Platinum success in
its own headquarters and in the other three
buildings at Manskun Rasti – but just going
through the motions won’t be enough, as
the LEED requirements keep tightening up.

rels. Better, more sustainable buildings are
the way of the future – and Skanska wants
to be one of the key players in the field of
carbon-conscious construction.
With this in mind, Skanska has also
come up with an environmental “colour palette” of its own – one that is independent of
international certificates but is very much
pointing in the same direction.
The first phase is ‘Vanilla’, which
means that the building project is merely complying with the existing practices,
codes and standards. ‘Green’ is the next
step, surpassing compliance but not yet
“near-zero environmental impact”. Final
stage is ‘Deep Green’, meaning that zero
environmental impact level is achieved on
the top priority issues (energy, carbon, materials and water).
“With regards to requirements and
versatility, Deep Green level goes beyond
LEED Platinum,” Pitkänen comments.
At Manskun Rasti, for instance, environmentally sound solutions are a part of
the building’s DNA right from the planning
phase. With regards to energy savings, the
greatest boost comes from cutting-edge air
conditioning technology, Pitkänen reveals.
“Basically, we use bigger air condi-

tioning machines that are able to put out air
at slower speeds.”

Welcome to the Future
According to Jukka Pitkänen, the Skanska
crew is excited about moving to the new hitech headquarters at the end of February. The
eight-storey building features 9,000 square
metres of innovative space, with Skanska
as the only user.
“The second building is also nearing
its completion in the summer of 2012,” Pitkänen adds. Skanska already has the building permit process ongoing for the third
building, as well, and is eager to get started on the project that promises to deliver
the highest tower of the quartet (12 storeys).
While Manskun Rasti will continue to
be a hot topic around town for years to come,
Pitkänen is anxious to return to Lintulahti, also. Another green-tech office building
looks to be in the cards for the area, with
building permit already pending.
“A lot depends on the market situation,
but we would very much like to get started
on Lintulahti II this year,” Pitkänen says.
Sami J. Anteroinen

Embrace the Challenge
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