How early involvement helped reduce Olivin’s carbon footprint by 30%

When Skanska set out to build its new Stockholm headquarters with significantly lower environmental impact, we were invited to join the project at an early stage to help turn these ambitious sustainability targets into measurable results.

As part of the construction of Olivin, Skanska’s new headquarters in Stockholm, we were responsible for the design, production, and installation of the structural frame. This included the integration of reused hollow-core slabs, prefabricated concrete façade walls, and aluminium-clad windows.

From the outset, the task was clear: identify ways to reduce the project’s carbon footprint by 30%. Achieving this required rethinking structural solutions, material choices, and construction methods already at the design stage - long before production began.

From design decissions to measurable results

In the facade, steel columns and beams were replaced with prefabricated concrete wall elements. The structural frame was further optimised by refining the column and beam layout, adjusting slab sizes and orientations, and integrating a timber glulam structure for the cantilevered part to reduce its weight and minimise loads on the primary structure.

From a materials perspective, we used concrete products with 50% clinker substitution and steel components with a higher recycled content.

As a result, the carbon footprint of the structural frame was reduced from 139 kg CO₂/m² to 99 kg CO₂/m², the project timeline was shortened, and overall costs were reduced by 8.9 percent.

What is particularly notable is the speed of these optimisations. They were developed, validated and incorporated in the design within less than three months, made possible by our ability to provide a clear understanding of how each early design decision impacted both CO₂ emissions and project costs.

Integrating re-used structural elements

Another important task assigned by Skanska was the integration of reused hollow-core slabs into the building structure.

It became a project within a project, requiring extra time and resources in design and assembly coordination. A major challenge was the absence of a structured supply chain for reused materials. Without established networks, sourcing suitable elements is complex. It is difficult to find donor buildings that match the needs of a new project, and once they are found, their condition, service life, and certification must be carefully verified.

The project highlighted both the opportunities and the practical challenges of implementing circular construction principles at scale.

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A key succsess factor - Early involvement

Our approach is based on early involvement and combined responsibility for both the structural frame and the façade. This allows us to evaluate solutions not only from a design perspective, but also from manufacturing, logistics and installation, making it possible to find solutions that are practical, buildable and measurable in terms of CO₂ reduction.

Because we handle engineering, production, and installation, we can evaluate solutions not only from a design perspective, but also from manufacturing, logistics, and installation, focusing on environmental impact perspectives. This makes it possible to find solutions that are practical, buildable, and measurable in terms of CO₂ reduction - not just theoretical improvements.

This integrated approach also enables faster decision-making, clearer coordination between disciplines, and more efficient implementation on site.

A strong example of sustainable and circular construction

We see Olivin as a strong example of sustainable and circular construction, where the project was optimised from multiple perspectives while also integrating reused structural elements into the final building.

The project clearly demonstrates how important early involvement becomes when sustainability ambitions are high. Once the design is fixed, the opportunities for meaningful optimisation decrease significantly.

The collaboration with Skanska and the wider project team was close, efficient, and highly solution-oriented throughout the entire process. One of the key success factors was the client’s ability to make decisions quickly and balance proposed structural optimisations with the architectural vision of the project.

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