NSB Kompetansesenter, Drammen

Project description

The railway workshop at Sundland from 1909-1911 was in 2003 re-zoned as a city development area, and a sketch project of a new school for NSB (the Norwegian national railway company) was started in 2009. Climate-friendly development has been the guideline for the planning work. The area is developed with several urban spaces which give effective walking and cycling opportunities. 

NSB Kompetansesenter was completed in 2010. The centre consists of a school, a college and offices and can house up to 450 people. NSB´s colour palette and detailing associated to modern train transport are used consciously in the interior and exterior of the building.

The building is compact, with a focus on the efficient use of space. NSB Kompetansesenter occupies the four lowest floors, while the fifth floor houses the building´s canteen and can be sublet. In time this area can be used for the college as it expands. The entrance is from the campus square, a space designed to be a quiet enclosed area. A simulator centre for full-scale locomotive training and a conductor education centre fill almost the entire first floor.

The gable roof provides space for the incorporation of the technical installations under the ridge. Only vents from the ventilation units, a glass roof for lighting, and smoke evacuation hatches protrude from the roof´s surface.

An outer skin of sheet metal roofing and brick walls frame the gables. The gables are constructed of two layers. The outermost layer consists of a refined ”ornament” of perforated steel panels that on the south side create a sunscreen. The inner layer is a cladding of colourful sheets on the insulated wall. The base of the building was originally intended to be more open, but was changed to achieve lower energy use. Despite the changes, contact between the college´s internal life and the outside spaces in ensured.

L

Low carbon strategies

NSB Kompetansesenter satisfies energy class A, through good cooperation in the project team and the systematic use of low-tech strategies. The building has thick insulation (250mm in the floors, 325mm in the walls and 450mm in the roof), high-quality windows and a good heat recovery system as well as straightforward control systems for lighting and energy. The external solar shading reduces the need for cooling. An exposed structure and concrete floor slabs accumulate heat and minimise temperature variations. Cold bridges are minimised with 220mm insulation in front of all slab edges, and columns and beams are placed inside the insulation layer.

The elevators return energy to the building. Sun screening consists of raster print on the glass louvres that move according to the sun´s position and strength, returning to an open position when there is no sunlight. Ventilation control is based on sensors in all rooms and zones, with a highly efficient rotating heat recovery unit operating at 85 per cent temperature efficiency. The building has a combination of flourescent lights for general lighting and LED for effect lighting and is demand-controlled with motion and lux sensors. Energy use is displayed on a panel in the reception area.

An air to water heat pump with about 400 kW installed effect will meet the building´s general heating and cooling needs. In addition there is a radiator system to cover transmission losses in the building. District heating is used for peak loads when necessary. The building is designed so that a cooling system is not required.

Emphasis has been put on the choice of environmentally acceptable building products. The material selection is based on robust materials that do not affect the indoor environment, simple cleaning and maintenance, low environmental impact in terms of life-cycle properties and chemical content, and on local materials that can be reused and recycled.

The storm water system from the building and the surrounding area is planned to accommodate expected higher precipitation levels. A rock bed just north of the building and other areas for local infiltration have been established. Roof water and storm water from outdoor spaces is therefore delayed on its way out to the communal sewage  system.

Key Figures

Project Information