3 questions for Pernilla Ivarsson at Brunnberg & Forshed

Pernilla Ivarsson, Sustainability Manager at Brunnberg & Forshed, answers three questions.
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2023-04-24

1. Hi Pernilla! What is the focus for you at Brunnberg & Forshed in the area of sustainability in the near future and why?

There is a big focus on sustainability for us! It is our responsibility as a company, as an architectural office, as citizens. We want to work together with our clients to satisfy today's needs for housing, buildings and living environments without impairing the ability of the next and future generations to also live in good living environments.

In the near future, we will focus on rebuilding and transforming existing buildings and on reusing materials and building components. We are also developing sustainability analysis and climate calculations. We need to be able to visualize and calculate how our projects affect their users and surroundings - for example, through solar, wind and microclimate studies - as well as how they affect the world at large through their climate impact and the loss or gain of green space and biodiversity.
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2. What knowledge about sustainability is important to have if you work with you?

Forus as an architectural firm, sustainability work is about dealing with several complex issues at the same time: minimizing climate impact, climate-adapting buildings, promoting biodiversity, taking advantage of existing resources in the built environment and creating living environments where people thrive and can meet in a simple way. A broad knowledge of sustainability is therefore needed. First of all, everyone needs to have a basic knowledge, but then a wide range of knowledge, experience and expertise is needed within the company. It is also necessary to cooperate and collaborate with other experts and our clients to jointly achieve a good result in what we design and what is built.

We strive for timelessness rather than following trends and immerse ourselves in everyday life when designing. Soft values such as comfort, aesthetics and function are at the heart of sustainability. Built environments that are not used, well taken care of or not liked are not sustainable architecture.
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3. What does circular economy mean to you?

For us, circular economy is about valuing and using our already built environments and staying as high as possible in the waste hierarchy. Large amounts of resources are embedded in the existing environment, so it is important to make use of what already exists, especially in times of climate crisis and resource scarcity. This may involve renovating premises for existing activities, adapting a building or premises for a new activity, and reusing building components and materials whenever possible. This minimizes the need to use new materials. It reduces the carbon footprint and avoids taking up virgin land.

Environments and buildings also carry intangible values such as memories, knowledge and history. People have relationships with places and nature has adapted. It is therefore important to inventory and analyze the area well and to take advantage of and develop the values, both tangible and intangible.



Here you can read more about Brunnberg & Forshed's sustainability work:
https://www.brunnbergoforshed.se/om-oss/hallbarhet/