Expensive times, times of turmoil, stalled construction, declining child populations… It’s easy to get gloomy. But Charlotte Kristensson, architect and head of the Education, Culture & Sport business area at FOJAB, sees opportunities. “Now is the right time to focus on quality,” she says.

FOJAB has a new business organization that will better capture customer needs and facilitate knowledge transfer and architectural development. Charlotte Kristensson is responsible for developing the business area, which includes schools, universities and colleges, spaces for culture and environments for sport and movement.

She describes the current situation:
– Most of our clients are struggling financially. There is a recession, and it costs a lot to build, operate and maintain. Many municipalities are running deficits. At the same time, there are fewer children and fewer children in preschool and primary school. At universities and colleges, on the other hand, it is high pressure. When the labor market weakens, more people want to study. We also see that several municipalities are investing in culture and sport – perhaps as a reaction to the turmoil in the world around us?

New tool: Room calculator
Overall, there is a strong interest among clients to redesign their buildings to make the best use of them. To help them, FOJAB offers a service called Strategic Premises Planning, which provides guidance to clients with large property portfolios in the form of comprehensive strategies. This can include premises supply plans and capacity studies, both at municipal level and in-depth.

– Now we have also developed a tool called the Room Calculator, which is about assessing the actual space needs in different educational environments. Square meters are the most cost-driving factor and by maximizing the use we can minimize the space,” says Charlotte.

The room calculator is based on the curriculum, which sets out the number of teaching hours each pupil is entitled to in each subject. These hours are translated into room space. For universities and colleges, which do not have a curriculum in the same way, the tool is based on the room booking system instead.

– It is crazy how poorly utilized the premises are in many higher education institutions! Rent is paid for rooms that are empty most of the time. At the same time, there is a need for premises that meet today’s requirements for educational environments. I would like to see more cooperation between the institutions and the property owners. There is much to gain for both parties,” says Charlotte.

Strategic new construction
However, the time for new construction is over, she says, for both climate and economic reasons. Charlotte and her colleagues at FOJAB are working to remove what works poorly and improve what is there. Is it necessary to have an auditorium if it is only used at the start and end of the semester? Do we need several different specialized labs or can we create a multifunctional lab? Is it justified to propose strategic new buildings?

– “It may seem simple,” says Charlotte, “but getting it right is a complex task that requires experience. “It’s like a surgical procedure, exactly the right solution in exactly the right place.

Focus on quality
When times are tough, it’s important to be able to make the most of the conditions. Charlotte Kristensson feels that there is a great deal of interest from clients in not only meeting functional and technical requirements, but also investing in quality.

– Now is the right time to focus on quality and get more architecture for your money. At FOJAB, we create values that give that extra something, which means that the client gets the most out of what is being built. We have great expertise when it comes to working with children and young people, for example. We can create cross-border meeting places, spaces that open up for flexible use and inclusive places that encourage movement. Or just an environment that provides peace of mind, security and inspiration.

For all wallets
“It is not the case that more money automatically leads to better architecture,” she points out.

– We tailor the proposal to your wallet – but that means we want to know the construction cost of the whole project in advance. It’s an approach that both gives us a better understanding of the contractor and allows us to help the client get the cost right without compromising on important qualities.

Get in touch with Charlotte!

E-mail: charlotte.kristensson@fojab.se

Mobile: +46 727 18 88 44

https://fojab.se/en/topical/more-architecture-for-your-money/