Linstow reuses "everything" in new head office

- When the offices were to be renovated, we had a clear requirement for as much reuse as possible. We kept most of the building structure and technical, and reused, among other things, radiators, office fronts, doors, and ceilings that were in the building. Additionally, we chose to reuse a lot of the furniture from our former office. This has significantly reduced the climate footprint," says project manager Runa Barli, responsible for the renovation.

Ambitious climate goals
Linstow has set ambitious targets for energy, re-use, and use of land. By 2030, the goal is to reduce the greenhouse gas footprint of Linstow`s properties by a total of 60 percent.

- Our goal is to be a pioneer in efficient use of resources both in construction and rehabilitation of buildings. Re-use and recycling of materials is central to saving resources and reducing greenhouse gas emissions and waste volumes. When we were renovating our new office, it was natural to test several solutions to see how high a reuse rate we could achieve," says Nikolai Jansen, Director of Project and Development.

The former Veterinary College at Adamstuen is Oslo's most exciting urban development project. Together with Oslobygg, Linstow will transform the former College into an open and sustainable urban area of 80 acres.

- When we now will fill the area with tenants, we hope that they can be inspired to a high degree of reuse and reuse," says Jansen.

Warm and welcoming
The colour choices and style in the new offices are completely different from Linstow's previous office at Tjuvholmen. All employees expressed their wishes for both the color palette and the content of the office.

- Everyone wanted more color and a cozier expression. We followed up with warm colors and used curtains and textiles to create a calmer environment. It has become a warm and welcoming venue where it is agreeable to be," says Head of Administration Mai-Britt Wang at Linstow.

There were also requests to have games and activities in the social zones. Therefore, you will find, among other things, schuffle, table tennis and foosball in the premises.

- In addition to activities during breaks, we see that it provides the opportunity to use the work premises for other things. Employees can arrange a children's birthday party here, it is easier to bring family members in if someone works extra hours, and there can be social events such as FIFA competitions or other events," says Wang.

An exciting challenge
Linstow engaged Lund+Slatto Architects (LSA) to execute the ambitious plans.

- We received a clear order, so we had to think a little differently than we normally do. The reuse and reuse rate here is very high. Everything that had reuse value has been used. This includes items from the building itself, Linstow's former office, and from other properties in their portfolio. Among other things, we retrieved the lamps for the smaller meeting rooms from another project that was to be vacated. It has been an exciting project, and we are very pleased with how we made the old look new, says Torunn Petersen, interior architect MNIL at LSA.

The building itself is from 1973, with an extension from the 90s. Since the building has been a veterinary college, it had a sterile and worn look.

- To create a warmer expression, we have added textile wallpaper to walls. We reused all the desks and cabinets Linstow already had, but rehabilitated tabletops and changed the handles on the cabinets," says Petersen.

She finds that there is generally much more acceptance for recycling now, than before.

- Recycling has become more important than creating magazine-perfect environments. Previously, it was more difficult to gain acceptance for a high proportion of recycling, but now the trend is more "mix and don't match". It has also become an important part of companies' identity – it says something about who you are and is an important part of storytelling," she says.