Innoasis awarded Storebrand Sustainability Award 2023
Innoasis, Smedvig Eiendom's rehabilitation project in Stavanger, has won the Storebrand Real Estate Sustainability Award 2023.
The winner was announced during Arendalsuka, and it is the third time the award has been given to the entity that has made the greatest strides toward a more sustainable real estate industry.
– With this project, Smedvig has managed to turn "gray" into gold, says the Jury leader and Sustainability Manager at Storebrand Eiendom, Unn Hofstad. She is impressed by the project's creativity in transforming an existing building while ensuring future flexibility, development, and usage of the property. Reuse has been a focal point, leading to significant reductions in CO2 emissions.
– It's particularly inspiring to see how the project has preserved and enhanced visible "scars" in the building instead of concealing them with smooth plaster, which is the usual approach, she explains.
Jury's justification
"Smedvig Eiendom is awarded the Storebrand Real Estate Sustainability Award 2023 because they chose to preserve what seemed to be a "hopeless", unattractive, and inefficient concrete building and for the way they tackled the reuse challenge.
They have, with creativity and determination, developed solutions that should inspire the entire industry to see opportunities rather than limitations. The building's history is also visible; instead of hiding them, "scars" and unique features have been refined, adding to the building's charm.
Innovative measures characterise both architecture and technical processes, resulting in a 45% increase in rental space and great flexibility for future use. With a glass roof and massive wood decks resting on columns made of tree trunks, a new, bright, and highly attractive atrium space has been created, encouraging a high level of co-use for both tenants and external parties.
Efficiency is evident in both space utilisation and climate and energy standards. The building's energy rating has improved from a red 'F' to a green 'A.' The combination of measures ensures high and balanced quality across all sustainability themes. The jury believes that this project is more than just well-executed; it is an outstanding reuse project."
Jury:
- Agathe Schjetlein, Finance Norway
- Jonas Holme, Sintef Community
- Katharina Bramslev, Green Building Council
- Nicolai Riise, Mad arkitekter
- Unn Hofstad, Storebrand Real Estate (jury leader)
Other nominees
- Urtekvartalet Fabrikken (Eiendomsspar)
- Effekthuset (Base Property)
Many good projects
– We see that the industry, in general, is improving its sustainability efforts, and this year's participants showed a solid level of commitment. The three finalists all have projects of exceptionally high quality and show that what may seem impossible is possible, says Hofstad.
Urtekvartalet Fabrikken by Eiendomsspar and Effekthuset by Base Property are projects that truly deserve honorable mention. These are respectively a rehabilitation project in Oslo and a new headquarters for Lnett in Sandnes.
Important focus on sustainability
- Storebrand has been involved in sustainable investments since the nineties, and as Norway's largest private asset manager, we want to learn ourselves and influence other companies in the industry to think innovatively about sustainability, says Hofstad.
This is the third time Storebrand Eiendom has awarded the sustainability prize. The jury was broadly composed of strong expertise in sustainable buildings and is familiar with the industry.
Criteria for assessing candidates
The assessment of candidates for Storebrand Real Estate Sustainability Award is based on the following criteria:
- Innovation
- Climate risk
- Health and well-being
- Reduced CO2 footprint
- Biodiversity
- Documentable results
- Resource efficiency and circularity
- Green mobility
- Knowledge sharing
Previous winners