Greater accessibility will boost Betesgatan
The housing area on Betesgatan in Borlänge was built during the million homes program in the 1960s and is now getting a major makeover. Skanska is taking a comprehensive approach and renovating everything from main plumbing lines to courtyards and garage buildings.
The 55 apartments are being renovated and the four-story building is gaining an additional floor, which means that more people will have an opportunity of moving into this desirable area. Work continues and we anticipate being ready sometime during 2013-2014.
Skanska has generated an enormous knowledge bank that we refer to as Miljonhemmet. In it, we have collected our experiences from the million homes program. It is from that resource we are retrieving the necessary tools for each project.
For the Betesgatan project we have, for example, utilized a tool to assist us in concrete inspections when developing action plans and conducting balcony renovations.
We also work on solutions that result in lower energy consumption. Thanks to a new ventilation system, window replacements and additional insulation, we lowered energy consumption from approximately 155 kWh per m2annually to 91 kWh. The environment, the building owner and the tenants all benefit from that.
The environment surrounding the buildings is another important part of the project. We are renovating the courtyards and playgrounds so that they harmonize with the park-like walking path that was already in place.
Accessibility is another aspect that we are working on. Together with representatives from the municipal disability council we have inspected the buildings, resulting in greater accessibility for people in wheelchairs or who are vision-impaired.
Security for the residents should be the best possible. Early on in the project we held meetings with the tenants’ association, police, landlords and contractors.
