Aurum brings the universities of Turku under one roof and provides a setting for innovations tackling climate change
Aurum brings the universities of Turku under one roof and provides a setting for innovations tackling climate change
The Aurum project has been guided by sustainable development goals from the very beginning, thanks to which the planning phase has already been awarded the BREEAM environmental certificate. Strategic partnership and cooperation have been the keys to success.
The facilities of Åbo Akademi University’s Faculty of Science and Engineering had reached the end of their service life and no longer met the needs of modern, cutting-edge research. At the same time, new facilities were being sought for the Department of Chemistry at the University of Turku. The old facilities were scattered around the campus, and there was a desire to centralise functions to better serve the users.
The universities made a resource-wise decision to join forces. The modern multi-user building Aurum will be erected on Yliopistonmäki in Turku, creating facilities for top-level research and cooperation between the two universities. Together, education and research in the field of chemistry will be taken to an even higher level. The building will be completed in the spring of 2021 and opened in the following autumn.
Saraco, which became a part of Sweco in October 2020, has been responsible for the project management, development and supervision of the Aurum project from the outset. University Properties of Finland (SYK) wanted a partner for the project who offers a strong strategic vision in addition to technical expertise.
‘We sought a partner with a broad strategic understanding for the needs assessment and project assessment phases. We wanted an operator who would, in addition to serving as a traditional developer consultant, understand the big picture of the project’s goals, such as the collaboration needs of the universities. The goals were set high,’ says Kimmo Mäkelä, Project Manager at SYK.
In the Aurum project, Sweco has also been responsible for HVAC design and structural design.
The project is guided by the principles of sustainable development
Pasi Pohjaranta, Project Manager for Sweco’s Aurum project, explains that the principles of sustainable development are reflected in Aurum, for example, through the use of renewable energy. The building utilizes geothermal heating and solar energy, and its thermal insulation is of a very high standard. Waste heat generated in the laboratories is efficiently recovered and reused through advanced heat recovery systems.
From the outset, the goal was to achieve the second-highest level of the BREEAM environmental certification, the Excellent rating.
In addition to being good PR for the project, Mäkelä notes that having a concrete and measurable target helped project stakeholders focus on the right priorities.
Environmental targets serve as tools to guide design and ensure its quality. Clear, measurable objectives help direct the attention of designers and the entire project organization to what truly matters.
Strong collaboration ensures success
Aurum was an exceptionally demanding project, particularly from a building services engineering perspective. The building contains extensive laboratory spaces, diverse research equipment, and facilities where chemicals are handled. The project was managed with a strong user-driven approach.
“We needed more detailed baseline data than usual. User involvement played a crucial role. For example, we closely examined the purpose of each activity and function,” Pohjaranta explains.
According to both Pohjaranta and Mäkelä, the challenging project was successfully completed thanks to strong collaboration among the project partners. Effective guidance made it possible to align different objectives almost seamlessly.
Pohjaranta adds that open cooperation and communication between the contractor and the client have made cost monitoring, forecasting, and control straightforward.
“There has been no old-school confrontation whatsoever,” Pohjaranta says.
Aurum was a joint project between the University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University. Students, researchers, and staff from both institutions are now housed under one roof.
Former Rector of Åbo Akademi University, Mikko Hupa, has stated that thanks to new, purpose-built facilities designed to support collaboration, the universities can lead development not only nationally but also internationally. Innovations in chemistry and engineering are essential if we are to survive challenges such as climate change, Hupa concludes.
We combine three areas of expertise: Technical, financial, and sustainability
At Sweco, we believe that integrating technical and commercial expertise with sustainability goals from the very beginning of a project creates added value for the project, its users, and investors. We take responsibility for comprehensive project management and bring together the best experts and solutions. We introduce a business-oriented perspective to the investment from the earliest stages, ensuring that long-term commercial impact is taken into account throughout the project.