🟩 GreenBricks Building of the Week 🟩 Powerhouse Brattørkaia

Net-positive green

63° north of the Earth’s equator – seasonal sunlight varies greatly – Powerhouse Brattørkaia explores solar potential under challenging conditions. Its dual function: office and small power plant.

📍Location

Trondheim, Norway

🏢Building Details

• Completed 2019, product of Powerhouse: collaboration of 5 industry partners dedicated to future-fit buildings

• 196,000 sq. ft. – across 8 floors + mezzanine

• Multi-tenanted workspace for 600 people

👷🏾‍♀️Developer & Contractor

• Rune Stene – Managing Director at Powerhouse

• Bjørn Jenssen – Chief Technical Adviser at Skanska

• John Kjøren – Project Manager at Skanska

• Stine Hostad – Trondheim Leader at Entra ASA

✍️Architects & Engineers

• Kjetil Trædal Thorsen – Founding Partner at Snøhetta

• Rune Grasdal – Senior Architect & Project Manager at Snøhetta

• Thea Collett – Group Manager & Lighting Designer at Light Bureau

• Mark Bouldin – Digital Solutions SME at Johnson Controls

• Asplan Viak AS

• Miljøstiftelsen ZERO

🌱Sustainability

• BREEAM Outstanding + net-positive: generates 500,000 kWh per year

• Strategically wrapped in 32,000 sq. ft. of solar panels, it generates over x2 as much electricity than consumed daily – surplus is distributed to neighbouring buildings + electric buses

• Heat recovery solutions for ventilation + seawater used for heating and cooling

• Thorough analysis of all building materials to ensure lowest embodied carbon

🥦 Wellbeing

• Office space characterised by light and air – expansive, serene view of Trondheimsfjorden and the Munkholmen island

• Central atrium functions as public garden as well as a skewed light-well, allowing daylight to enter every floor

• All large meeting rooms designed on eastern side for maximum sunlight exposure = passive illumination + heating

• Changing facilities and bike lockers

🎈Bonus feature

It features a new concept of sustainable lighting called Liquid Light. Lights automatically adjust and smoothly dim according to movement, occupancy, and outside environment. Rough and cold outside? The lighting adapts to bring calm and warmth – an ever-changing, harmonising visual identity.

🔗 Check it out https://snohetta.com/projects/456-powerhouse-brattorkaia-the-worlds-northernmost-energy-positive-building