Búseti builds Swan-certified in Hafnarfjörður

An environmentally friendly incentive in Hafnarfjörður

Búseta's first Swan-certified housing is being built in Hafnarfjörður. The first sod was cut for five terraced houses today, Thursday, 22 May.

Búseti Housing Co-operative was allocated a plot of land at Axlarási 16–22 at the end of last year. Building plans have now been approved, and construction is scheduled to begin in the coming weeks and be completed by the end of next year.

Build a five-unit terraced house

Búseti has had five magnificent terraced houses designed on the site. Ístak is handling the construction of the houses in collaboration with other contractors. The townhouses will also be the first Swan-certified new-build project that Ístak is involved in. M11 Architects are responsible for the design of the townhouses being built by Búseti.

Valdimar Víðisson, the mayor, together with Bjarni Þór Þórólfsson, managing director of Búseta, and representatives of Ístak, took the first spadeful of earth.

„We are extremely proud to see how housebuilders have chosen to build sustainably, encouraged by the council's incentives for those who do,“ he says. „I congratulate Búseta and look forward to seeing the house go up.“

The number of social housing units in the town is increasing.

Bjarni Þór Þórólfsson, Managing Director of Búseta, says it is a real pleasure to begin construction on the Swan-certified terraced houses at Axlarás in Hafnarfjörður.

„The houses are precisely the size and type that our members are looking for. Búseta's property portfolio includes everything from smaller flats to spacious detached houses. It is particularly pleasing for Búseta to be increasing the number of properties in Hafnarfjörður,“ he says.

„There is always high demand whenever the company advertises flats in the borough. The flats that Búseti already owns in Hafnarfjörður are, among others, in Birkihlíð, Bæjarholt, Þrastarási, Blikaási, Engjahlíð and Suðurhvammi. Búseti places great emphasis on sustainability and appreciates the encouragement provided by the council's incentives for those who wish to build certified buildings.“

Swan-certified in Hafnarfjörður

It has been a year since the first building in Hafnarfjörður received the Swan label. It was the block of flats at Drangaskarði 11 and Hádeigsskarði 20. The town partially reimburses the cost of plots for environmentally friendly construction for the benefit of Hafnarfjörður residents. This has been an incentive for contractors and has launched a number of environmentally friendly projects.

• Discount on the building permit fee for environmental certification (Svansvottun, BREEAM certification or equivalent):
  • Detached house 10% discount on the development charge.
  • Terraced semi-detached houses, 7.51 TP3T discount on the building permit fee.
  • Block of flats 5% discount on the building rights fee.

Búseti is a housing co-operative modelled on the Nordic example and has a successful history of over 40 years. The organisation's website states that such societies are owned by all its members and are generally open to everyone, regardless of age or place of residence. Today, Búseta's property portfolio comprises around 1,500 flats, home to nearly 4,000 people, and in the last six years, around 700 flats have been added to the portfolio. Last year, around 100 flats were added to Búseta's property portfolio. Búseta has around 6,500 members.

• But what does it mean to be Swan-certified? „The main aim of Swan certification is to reduce the environmental impact of buildings, combat global warming and protect the health of those involved in the project during construction, as well as those who use the building after it has been put into use. The requirements also cover on-site quality management, as clear control of environmental aspects and quality management often go hand in hand,“ states the website Svanurinn.is.

Hafnarfjörður Municipality congratulates Búseta.