Albano is Sweden’s first campus certified to Citylab standards
Thursday, 26 September 2019
In all, 70,000 square metres of new university facilities and 1,000 housing units for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as parks, stores and restaurants, will be built on the Albano Campus. Now it is recognised that the Albano campus is the first in Sweden to be certified to Citylab standards and thereby distinguish itself as an urban development project at the absolute cutting edge of sustainability.
A cohesive university district is growing in Stockholm that extends from Stockholm University in the north, via KTH over to Hagastaden, and with Karolinska Institutet to the west. The Albano Campus is developing into a modern and competitive university environment in harmony with nature and with the objective of becoming a role model in sustainable urban development. As proof that the project has achieved success in terms of sustainability, the Albano campus is now certified to Citylab standards, which, unlike other environmental certifications initiatives, not only applies to individual buildings, but also covers an entire urban development project.
“We are both proud and pleased that Albano is the first campus in Sweden to be certified to Citylab standards. It is the result of an excellent collaborative effort and an acknowledgement that we actually created a campus with sustainability as the guiding principle at every level – something which is of great importance to Akademiska Hus and our work to achieve a zero carbon footprint,” says Hayar Gohary, project director at Akademiska Hus.
The certification covers early and overarching planning and programme phases.In order to qualify, the project met the criteria for 20 indicators, covering both qualitative and quantitative assessment criteria and reporting requirements. The focus includes process management, organisation, dialogue and collaboration. In addition, the project must offer mixed use construction, sustainable travel modes, meeting places, green spaces, ecosystem services and energy systems with low climate impact.
“The initiative provides us with a good platform for a structured approach to sustainability issues. The system makes it easier to choose among various qualities in the outdoor environment,” says Mats Åhlander, project manager at Svenska Bostäder.
As Stockholm University and KTH develop, modern new facilities are needed for research, education and collaboration. Consequently, in November 2015 construction kicked off for the Albano Campus, which with its strategic location strengthens the links between the city’s universities and forms a new neighbourhood that is vibrant regardless of time of day.
The development work is a collaborative project involving Akademiska Hus and Stockholm University, KTH, Svenska Bostäder and the City of Stockholm.All of the stakeholders share and promote the vision of the Albano Campus contributing to sustainable urban development. Several sustainable initiatives are involved, such as strengthening the potential for increased biodiversity for bees, insects and birds. New water systems are being created in the area to take care of surface water and improve the microclimate, while outdoor environments are being designed to strengthen the distribution pathways of plants and animals. The sustainability initiatives also include everything from material choices to the design of bicycle paths. To make the new buildings under construction as energy-efficient as possible, Akademiska Hus is using geothermal heating and cooling systems, and installing rooftop solar panels.
Albano Campus stakeholders
Plan owner: City of Stockholm
Tenants: Stockholm University and KTH
Developer: Akademiska Hus (university facilities), Svenska Bostäder (undergraduate and graduate student housing)
Architects: BSK Arkitekter, Cedervall Arkitekter, Arkitema and Christensen & Co Architects (university facilities), Tyréns, Brunnberg & Forshed, Tovatt Architects and Planners and Joliark (undergraduate and graduate student housing), Nivå Landskapsarkitektur (outdoor environments)
Timetable
Ground broken: November 2015
Planned initial occupancy housing: 2021
Planned initial occupancy university facilities: 2020