Social, economic and environmental sustainability
Participation, commitment and responsibility
Artistic embellishments, flexible solutions for outdoor areas, and ground floor spaces all contribute to happiness in the area, as well as to the possibility of change as people's needs change. A basic requirement for creating genuine happiness in an area is that residents are allowed to develop and put their own mark on the building and surroundings.
Our goal is that the buildings and surroundings, through their design and activities available, will inspire a sense of participation, commitment and responsibility. We want to provide our residents with the sense of community and the ability to influence both their home and immediate environment.
Our proposal is designed to "build in" natural interactions with neighbours and local residents from all walks of life in order to promote happiness, security and community. Common areas both indoors and out will feel naturally relevant, attractive and accessible for all and on equal terms. We believe that these opportunities for neighbourly togetherness and activities in the area will promote all three aspects of participation, involvement and responsibility.
When we design our projects, the residents' sense of security is important. For gardens, entrances, passageways and concealed spaces, it is paramount with good lighting, clear boundaries and visibility. The exterior environments will be designed so that all ages and target groups are invited to lounge or pass through. Where the private property begins and ends is not marked by gates, but by a clarity that enables harmonious interactions within the neighbourhood.
Resident manager
A sustainable lifestyle is clearly linked to happiness and care. As property manager, ByggVesta want to be available for their tenants. In those areas with enough units, they employ their own manager who quickly develops close and personal contact with the residents. For many projects, especially concerning young residents, we plan for a managerial space where a dedicated resident ambassador is on site to support the residents and to create a sense of security and stability. This can be evolved to include community activities where our ambassadors act as hosts for barbeques or swap meets. ByggVesta's web portal is an important point of contact between the residents and the manager.
Sharing economy – swap, borrow and donate
Today we are buying more stuff than ever before. Unfortunately, much of that stuff mostly collects dust on a shelf. On the other hand, the trend to swap, borrow and donate is firmly on the rise, both in Sweden and internationally.
ByggVesta have capitalised on that by including a feature in the managerial office, where one is available, to allow residents to borrow more costly tools, garden machines and kitchen appliances at no extra charge. Things that are costly to buy but rarely used. The loan feature is convenient, it saves money, it contributes to reduced consumption, and it creates an enhanced sense of community and positive connection to one's landlord and home in regards to both sustainability and service.
In the managerial office, ByggVesta's resident manager will also be able to receive items in good condition that people want to donate, which is another way of promoting increased recycling and a stronger environmental approach.
Mixed apartment sizes
Rosendal is an area for people of all walks of life. Our random structure with varied building modules allows us to combine different forms of housing and spaces directly adjacent to or near one another. This mixture ensures a more socially diverse and interesting environment.
Our proposal consists of the following types of housing:
*Traditional apartments with a mixed selection ranging from 1 to 3 bedrooms
*Smart studio and 1-bedroom flats
Visible stormwater solutions in connection with play areas
Stormwater on the property is delayed through permeable surfaces such as rock dust, and of course the lush vegetation. Roof gutter water is collected in containers where children and grownups can retrieve water for play and irrigation. Excess water in the garden accumulates in two low channels with allowance for overflow to surrounding streets and municipal sewerage.
Green contracts
Living a sustainable life is first and foremost about awareness and encouragement, but also about technical and practical solutions. ByggVesta have high environmental goals and ask that their tenants share these. They therefore sign green contracts with their tenants that they follow up on a regular basis. The purpose of the contracts is for a landlord to offer the best possible solutions for the tenant to make the right environmental choices through the way we design and equip the apartments and buildings.
It must be straightforward to do waste disposal and recycling correctly.
Bicycle rooms must be accessible and attractive.
A repair shop and bicycle pump will be located adjacent to the bicycle room. These features are linked to communication channels where we inform tenants about the property's environmental performance with regards to energy consumption, car ownership, waste and recycling, and compare these to the reference property.
Reducing the consumption of resources is especially stimulated by our model to individually gauge and charge each tenant on their use of water and heat. We hold various "competitions" in which we as landlord aim to encourage our tenants to contribute to a reduced environmental footprint from our buildings. The prize is primarily the knowledge that they have contributed to extending the life of the earth's resources, but of course they also deserve a movie ticket or two for doing something good!
Reducing dependence on cars – loaner bicycles, bicycle rooms and repair shop
Within the area, ByggVesta offer a number of electric cargo bikes on loan to residents. We also offer nice and easily accessible cycle rooms with the capacity for DIY repair. To further encourage and facilitate the use of bicycles in the area, we are exploring the possibility of hiring an on-site bicycle repairman/repair shop. All these initiatives, along with well-built cycle paths, will make it easier for residents to choose the bicycle over the car for both long and short distances.
Green building
We endeavour to certify our buildings at Gold level of the Sweden Green Building Council.
Locally produced energy within the building
The roofs are designed to accommodate solar cells or solar panels (that more effectively extract solar energy and provide better energy efficiency for water heating). Applied solar cells and/or panels are expected to significantly reduce the need for purchased power for electricity and heat.
Self-Heating Buildings
Our Self-Heating Buildings are very close to the classification of passive house. Meeting all of FEBY's criteria requires efforts that provide very little environmental profit at unreasonably high costs considering the small energy gain created. The Self-Heating Building is a sustainable economic solution that balances the cost of production with very low energy consumption.
Environmental sustainability during construction.
To ensure good sustainability in the production phase, we set requirements on our contractors during the tender process. When procuring frames from other countries, these are to be transported mainly by ship or train, not by truck. Construction heating must be connected to the district network at an early stage. We also require that construction electricity be eco-labelled and that the contractor's sheds be modern with good energy efficiency. All materials must be approved by Basta or Byggvarubedömningen, and the contractor's adherence to these requirements is carefully checked off at every design and construction meeting.
We have entered a partnership with a development project for a connected database that will provide a more comprehensive documentation of environmental performance, and traceability in traditional construction similar to what can be achieved in a more industrial process. A sustainability expert is entrusted to survey the project's requirement specifications and to carefully ensure that the construction does not affect the groundwater with regards to level and quality.