Careful renovation of the listed building

The foundations for a comprehensive sustainability initiative have already been laid in the long-term development plan “Campus Plan 2030”, which Mälardalen University has drawn up in collaboration with Hemsö. The renovation of the listed S-building, built in 1994 and designed by architect Dag Cavallius, is the first step.

“The S-building has been vacant for about a year and was last used as a primary and secondary school. We now need the premises ourselves, partly for our administration and partly for our teacher training programmes,” says Peter Liljenstolpe.

Reuse and sustainability

The 6,000-square-metre S-building will therefore once again be connected to the R-building, which is twice its size, and undergo a major refurbishment with a focus on reuse and sustainability. Construction began in spring 2025 and is expected to be completed in autumn 2026.

– The collaboration with Hemsö has been excellent. It is characterised by mutual responsiveness and a shared desire to find the very best solutions. The bar for Miljöbyggnad Gold 4.0 is set high, but I believe we will achieve it, says Peter Liljenstolpe.

This careful renovation is, in fact, a form of modern building conservation on a larger scale than usual. The existing wall sections are to be retained as far as possible. Where they need to be demolished, they will be rebuilt elsewhere in the building or recycled elsewhere. At least 80 per cent of the plasterboard is to be reused, and where this is not possible, it will be replaced by circular Recoma boards.

Gold in sight

Energy consumption – the fact that the property is connected to the district heating network is crucial for Gold certification. Among other things, new, modern fan units and window units will keep energy consumption to a minimum.

The renovation of the S-building, with Gold certification in sight, is naturally a feather in the cap for both Mälardalen University and Hemsö. For the university, however, it means even more.

– For several years, sustainability has been part of Mälardalen University’s development and a key to its success. This is reflected, for example, in our activities, where we have both education and research programmes focusing on sustainability and resource use, says Peter Liljenstolpe.

Hemsö is Mälardalen University’s largest landlord by far, with just over 40,000 square metres of floor space following the reopening of the S-building. So what is the next step? Peter Liljenstolpe highlights two areas.

– Firstly, we want to continue investing in flexible workspaces and how we utilise the premises. Secondly, we want to develop the outdoor environment, creating more harmony and a sense of well-being, with more green spaces and water features.