JM builds environmentally certified offices

JM has decided that the energy consumption of all newly built offices should be at least 25% below the requirements set by the National Board of Housing, Building and Planning. The first building to be classified as a Green Building is JM’s new head office in Frösundavik, Solna. The office, which will be built by JM but owned and managed by Vasakronan, will be inaugurated in December 2009.

”The decision to only build green offices is 100 percent in line with our ambition to always make our next project just a little bit better than the preceding project,” says Lars-Olof Höglund, who is in charge of JM Property Development.

Building environmentally certified offices is also a part of JM’s initiative to be a European leader in energy-efficient construction. It has been almost one year since JM made energy-efficiency a standard in all of its own-production homes in Sweden. The office building, which encompasses approximately 11,000 m2, will have district heating and cooling. Energy-saving measures include heat exchangers, energy-efficient windows and thicker insulation.

"Energy is one of the most important areas, as well as one of the highest prioritized, of Vasakronan's environmental work," says Anna Denell, head of development and environmental issues at Vasakronan. "We have successfully improved our efficiency and lowered the heat energy consumption of our properties to 30 percent below the national average for offices."

Facts about Green Building: The Green Building program was launched in 2004 with the goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions. The EU Commission, in cooperation with national organizations, is the impetus behind the program. Green Building certification requires that energy consumption be at least 25% below the requirements set by the National Board of Housing, Building and Planning.

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