Here, the extension is seen from the outside, with a facade of light metal. From left: Robin Hedström, Skellefteå municipality, and Marcus Asserholt, Contractor.
Renting construction tents can be expensive, but Skellefteå municipality felt it was necessary. They are in the process of building an extension for a ventilation block, which involves making an opening in the existing outer roof.
– We removed a 20x22 meter section, and the hole was too big to cover in any other way. If rainwater were to enter the building, it would cause significant damage, primarily to the building itself, but also to the facilities inside. The building includes a video game education program and has a lot of equipment that doesn't work well in damp conditions, says Robin Hedlund, project manager for support and facilities.
The tent was installed in May and will be removed in early October. What can be seen now is an extension that is a little more than a floor high and houses a ventilation system.
This ventilation will serve buildings C and D, the two oldest buildings in this central part of campus, which were built in the early 1990s.
– The old ventilation system was outdated and didn't meet today's requirements. In addition, more cooling is needed because the equipment for the video game education program generates a lot of heat, continues Robin Hedström.
Once the tent is removed, work will continue inside. New air ducts will be installed in all rooms in the two buildings, which will require new interior ceilings.
– It's not a complete renovation, but we're doing some refreshing and moving some walls.
Between the roofs stands site supervisor Marcus Asserholt.
Tenants have been evacuated during construction. Building D will remain vacant until the end of December, when it will house adult education and some vacant spaces.
Then building C will be vacated, home to Umeå University (which has already moved).
– The whole project should be completed by spring, says Marcus Asserholt, site manager at Contractor.
The project is budgeted at 37 million kronor and is the first major job the municipality has undertaken since taking over responsibility for the buildings on Campus.
Seen from the north
The rest of the property is owned by the municipal company Skellefteå Industrihus. For the past 1.5 years, Skellefteå municipality has leased all the buildings from Skellefteå Industrihus, and is responsible for property management, maintenance, and collecting rent from tenants.
– We saw opportunities to develop the area. Thanks to our long-term agreement with Skellefteå Industrihus, it's advantageous, and then we can charge market rates when we rent. This creates a margin that can be used to develop the campus, says Fredrik Nilsson, the municipality's property manager.
– We currently invest about 15 million kronor a year in maintenance, he adds.
Per Eriksson from Plåtisol is insulating the pipes.