FOJAB is part of an industry that, from a sustainability perspective, faces multiple challenges. Yet, within these challenges also lie opportunities. The office building Trikåfabriken in Malmö, parts of the Motala Hospital, and the Akademiska Hus administrative offices in Lund are just a few examples of the refurbishment projects that FOJAB has designed in recent years.
Focusing on longer life spans and minimized carbon footprint, the firm has demonstrated how to work sustainably in ways beyond innovative new production. Data and digitization is a common thread throughout its work, reinforcing its commitment to a sustainable future.
FOJAB knew its Malmö office did not fully reflect its culture, brand, and needs, particularly with office habits having shifted as a result of the pandemic. A rethink was necessary. Its first instinct was to draw from its own work, which had increasingly moved toward refurbishment and adaptive reuse projects. It made sense that the new office should demonstrate these values.
This thinking led FOJAB to Trikåfabriken in Malmö, a former textile factory built in 1904 that had closed in 1972. Centrally located in Malmö, it was part of a block of turn-of-the-century brick buildings that housed restaurants as well as a legendary rock club. The firm fell in love and chose to rent out and refurbish about half of its footprint.
During the project, if FOJAB was client and architect, office manager Carl Kylberg had the role of tenant. From the beginning, he was focused on adaptability as a key goal.
—Carl Kyberg, Office Manager, FOJAB
Another important aspect of the project was to retain the architectural values of the space. While refurbishment projects typically only retain the shell of buildings, FOJAB wanted to preserve as much of the building's character as possible. To achieve that it was important to understand how best to maximize retention of its original elements, and to open a dialogue about what should be saved or replaced.
"In refurbishment projects, it's important [to] decide on the level of digitization from the start. We often build a digital twin of the building to get a detailed view of what exists, what can be retained, and how we can work to save as much of the existing [building] as possible,” says Adrian Duveholt, BIM Lead at FOJAB.
With a holistic view, FOJAB was able to run all wiring through beams rather than in external channels, minimizing intrusive ventilation. Throughout, original wooden floors were restored, and recovered masonry used to rebuild interior walls. Original features such as rosette valves were kept in situ, and period windows renovated and retained, or replaced sympathetically.
The result? An ideal office that both retains an authentic character and speaks to the firm’s expertise. Trikåfabriken combines the old and the new, with a historic appearance secretly housing sustainable smart tech, from automatic blinds and solar panels to energy-saving batteries and an AI-controlled heating system. Going even beyond the building’s immediate technical aspects and aesthetics, FOJAB wanted to create a flexible environment that could be reused far into the future.
But creating flexibility is not just about building adaptably; it's also about choosing the right material for the right place from the beginning, which in turn places high demands on both the architect and the tools they require. Petra Jennings, Architect and Development Manager at FOJAB, prioritizes adaptability in her work–and with manufacturers increasingly focusing on durability and reusability in their products, she foresees that architects will need to start doing the same.
—Petra Jennings, Architect and Development Manager, FOJAB
In partnership with Autodesk, FOJAB has further solidified its status as a leader in sustainable refurbishment with the Trikåfabriken project.
With BIM Collaborate Pro, for example, FOJAB was able to streamline its design and collaboration processes. The platform's common database enabled seamless integration with other tools and provided on-demand access to relevant data, resulting in simplified workflows. Reduced latency and a smoother design process also cut the time spent on administrative tasks and travel.
The platform’s interoperability between different systems and databases created opportunities for new technology and new partnerships. Collaborating with small start-ups in Revit, for example, meant FOJAB could combine traditional measurements with advanced 3D scanning technology, while establishing a collaborative set of requirements and clear review processes between teams.
During the project, FOJAB conducted a detailed ROI analysis and an employee survey to gauge the exact benefits of using cloud-based collaboration tools. Employees were highly supportive, reporting better communication within teams. This was borne out in the ROI analysis which revealed an estimated time saving of 1.7 hours per user a week. This means that the return cloud collaboration provides is more than five times greater than the investment in the technology. In addition, increased efficiency frees up more capacity to deliver on value-generating activities such as sustainability initiatives, automation development, employees' well-being, and more projects.
By consistently embracing new challenges and new technologies, FOJAB has established itself as an innovation leader in the industry. It believes a digital-first approach makes it possible to preserve more than we do today–vitally important for a future where the amount of virgin material used must decrease to meet climate targets. Refurbishments are becoming increasingly significant for both architects and developers, even when building afresh. FOJAB’s new offices at Trikåfabriken are a glimpse of what’s to come.
