Mengus and Exengo create workplaces for well-being
Exengo CEO Christian Rolf and Sebastian Johansson, electricity consultant Exengo, meet Björn Lindahl, partner at Mengus, in one of their properties located in Frösundavik, Solna.
In 1984, SAS launched an architectural competition for its new headquarters. The winner was architect Niels Torp who designed an airport-like building in glass and steel next to the water and walking paths of Brunnsviken. Torp’s idea was to break up the large office space (about 55,000 m2 GFA) into five smaller, interconnected building blocks with an atrium that serves as an interior walkway.
Mengus acquired the property in 2016 and has since made major investments, replacing the glass facades and roof and creating a number of common areas such as gyms, meeting rooms and restaurants for the tenants. Since then, Exengo has been involved in several projects. This included the design of all installations for Björn Borg, one of the new tenants, where office space, showroom and gym have been integrated.
The idea is to create a ‘fitwel’ environment with a focus on health and well-being directly linked to the workplace. Tenants have access to their own gym, tennis courts, mountain bikes, canoes and proximity to outdoor activities such as walking or running. The property is Breeam certified, but also Sweden’s first building to be wellness certified according to Fitwel, a certification that focuses on human well-being.
A tour of the property shows an ongoing transformation both externally and internally. Replacing the roof and facade of a building that is largely made of glass while also housing tenants is an obvious challenge, both in terms of precision and logistics. A gradual process that is now in full production.
The indoor environment is transformed from stripped-down and institutional to an open, modern mall where the line between inside and outside is blurred. Soaring ceilings, natural light, traditional stone paving, vegetation and stone sculptures add to the illusion. The row of now fully grown ficus trees was planted in the 1980s along the central arcade and can now provide shade over generous light wood seating areas.
Cozy lounge areas build modern spatialities and are mixed with conference tables and café-like areas in a contemporary style in the common areas of the building. Wood-paneled elevator shafts and light wood stairs are examples that give a warmer and softer overall feel.
A completed communal kitchen for take-away lunch and cooking has an Asian flavor and provides a luxurious restaurant feel, while the establishment of the commercial restaurant and café area is well underway. Looking out over Brunnsviken, you can see beehives used for their own honey production with sales on site. The in-house bus service is another example of a service included for tenants to facilitate transportation to and from work.
Since the start of work, Exengo has been involved in plumbing, control and electrical installations as well as energy and lighting design in most of the projects. A larger and more welcoming entrance is one of the upcoming and remaining sub-projects, as well as a larger building right that is being worked on in parallel.
Björn Lindahl’s collaboration with Exengo goes back ten years. Back in 2011, Björn, then CEO of Arcona Concept, gave one of Exengo’s first assignments: to carry out the design of all installations in the Nya Lindgården project, which would later become ABBA The Museum and Pop House Hotel on Djurgården.
Björn has a background as Deputy CEO of Arcona and with experience of establishing new businesses within the group through foreign operations with properties in the Netherlands and prefabricated production manufacturing in the company Arcona LeanEment. Today, Björn is Senior Partner and responsible for project and property development at Mengus fastighetsfonder, specializing in investment in commercial property development in Stockholm.
Björn sees broad competence, speed, flexibility and proximity to the project as the crucial and most important qualities for a successful collaboration with a partner. This was also a decisive factor in choosing to work with Exengo.
– A major competitive advantage is that we can offer quick moves to our new tenants. tenants, which requires a knowledgeable, fast and solution-oriented technical consultant. (Björn Lindahl)
– Speed is required partly because you always encounter changes in the project’s conditions along the way. conditions along the way, and the same applies to the flexibility to find new ways of solutions, for example in the choice of materials, without sacrificing quality. A certain pragmatism is useful to have with you to come up with solutions that work at least as well as the initial plans. (Björn Lindahl)
Mengus is investing in a Fitwel concept that focuses on the well-being and health of the tenant. The proximity to exercise and nature, together with the interior’s connecting spaces, create the conditions for greater well-being and community. The property is certified according to Breeam with a focus on low energy consumption, which is in line with Exengo’s vision; to contribute to a better environment.
After ten years of successful projects, Exengo looks forward to a continued exciting collaboration with Mengus.
Published on 2021-03-16