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Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Nordic Architecture Sweden
to work with these issues, avoiding creating those hidden-away corners.” Over the years Johansson has seen a particular increase in the concern for safety. “If you work with a police station then security is taken for granted, but we’re starting to see that kind of mentality with all public buildings now. It’s a sad development but unfortunately that’s the way it is and we have several experts working on these areas.” Thanks to Building Information Models, BIM, Liljewall can not only produce safety analyses but also calculations for the life and impact of a new building, before it’s even been built. “We used to just create them for our internal quality control but today many clients appreciate that we can provide energy analyses, daylight simulations and more,” says Johansson. Planning outside the norm ABOVE: Carpe Futurum won Vattenfall’s competition for a new power and heating plant in Uppsala, Sweden.
core of Liljewall’s portfolio and here their passion for a green and safe future shines. “When we look at public spaces we think a lot about safety and how people move,” says Johansson. “For example, with schools, we keep bullying in mind. We try
The same plan-ahead attitude applies to the many public swimming baths Liljewall is working on. “Swimming baths across Sweden are in need of restoration. The problem is that councils want them but they don’t want to run them, so we team up with the service providers, offering a complete solution.” That solution includes making room for those outside the norm, be it by providing
gender-neutral changing facilities or escape routes for people with disabilities. “We’re pleased to see that clients are asking for these aspects to be included; they’re important.” Liljewall’s sustainable philosophy has clearly paid off. In the past three years the company has doubled its aim of winning a respectable 25 per cent of the jobs it competes for. Recently, it also won Vattenfall’s competition for a new central power and heating plant in Uppsala, called Carpe Futurum. Here the jury praised the well-made design for working with the city’s silhouette and for finding innovative ways of harnessing surplus energy: powering greenhouses for local residents. With all this success behind them, Liljewall is bringing some focus back home as they are planning to introduce climate compensation schemes to make up for their own business trips and commuter travel. “We’re not changing the world but if many offices do the same, then it will mean a real difference,” says Johansson. Judging by Liljewall’s success we’re guessing many will follow their trail. For more information, please visit: www.liljewall-arkitekter.se
TOP MIDDLE AND RIGHT: Liljewall Architects is one of Sweden’s top ten architect firms. Herrestaskolan, one of their latest projects in Järfälla will be representing Sweden at the SB14 conference in Barcelona in October. LEFT AND BOTTOM MIDDLE: Liljewall is building passive energy offices in China. The fact that it’s a passive energy build means that it will require no heating system; the people that use it create the energy themselves.
Issue 69 | October 2014 | 83