Important Seminar on Nordic Swan Ecolabelled Buildings
Nordic Swan Ecolabelled buildings are enjoying ever-increasing popularity – and never have so many been built in Iceland as in the last year. The Nordic Swan Ecolabel and Iðan Education Centre are hosting a seminar on Nordic Swan Ecolabelled buildings.
“We wanted to create a space where people could speak openly with each other – not just listen to presentations, but also reflect on their own experiences in light of others’,” says Bergþóra Góa Kvaran, a specialist at the Nordic Swan Ecolabel, who will be presenting at the seminar.
The seminar will be held at the Iðan Education Centre on March 5th from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM and is intended for those who are already familiar with the Nordic Swan Ecolabel certification for buildings but want to learn from the experience of others.
Bergþóra points out that the idea for the seminar arose from conversations with people in the construction industry. Projects have become more complex, with many more people involved in each one. The need for a platform to share experiences, discuss challenges, and communicate solutions has become urgent.
Applicants, licensees, consultants, contractors, clients, and marketing professionals. Everyone involved in the process should make an effort to attend the seminar.
The agenda is packed and focused.
Guðrún Lilja Kristinsdóttir, Managing Director of the Nordic Swan Ecolabel, will open the seminar and review developments in recent years. The past year was a record year for Nordic Swan Ecolabel certification of buildings, with a significant increase in the number of certified projects. What is behind this success – and where is this development heading?
Good advice on the process
Bergþóra will go over good advice and guidance, including how to simplify processes, reuse documents, and avoid common mistakes. Later in the meeting, she will also discuss the requirements that many find challenging – and how best to tackle them.
Material selection in Nordic Swan Ecolabelled buildings
Special emphasis will be placed on material selection in Nordic Swan Ecolabelled buildings. This is often where the biggest challenges lie, as it must be ensured that every single building product meets the set requirements.
Katla Þöll Þórleifsdóttir, a specialist at the Nordic Swan Ecolabel, will cover this process in detail and shed light on how to work systematically and reliably with approved materials.
Experience of professionals from larger projects
At the seminar, people who have tackled the projects in practice will give presentations.
Kristín Þrastardóttir from Eykt will discuss understanding the Nordic Swan Ecolabel's requirements and how best to implement them into work processes. Þórey Edda Elíasdóttir from Verkís will talk about tender documents and how crucial they are for the progress of projects. If requirements are not clear in the tender, problems can arise later in the process – clarity at the beginning saves both time and effort.
Special discussion sessions will highlight the collaboration between different parties. Representatives from Verkvist and Sérverk will discuss cooperation in projects, and representatives from the City of Reykjavík and VSÓ Consulting will talk about working on tenders and planning larger projects. How does collaboration evolve when new requirements are added? What does it take to manage a complex process with many participants? Both experience will be shared and it will be acknowledged that a perfect system is an ever-changing goal.
Discussing the issues
In addition to presentations, there will be roundtable discussions where participants will have the opportunity to discuss the issues in smaller groups. The goal is to create a platform that is more like a workshop than a traditional lecture meeting – where conversation is at the forefront and different perspectives meet.
“We hope to see people at different stages of projects and with different experiences,” says Bergþóra. “The more diverse the group, the more we learn from each other.”
.”Agenda
9:00-9:15 Opening - Guðrún Lilja Kristinsdóttir, Managing Director of the Nordic Swan Ecolabel
9:15-9:30 Good advice and guidance - Bergþóra Góa Kvaran, specialist at the Nordic Swan Ecolabel
9:30-9:40 A success story: Understanding the Nordic Swan Ecolabel's requirements - Kristín Þrastardóttir, Eykt
9:40-9:50 A chat about collaboration - Alma Dagbjört Ívarsdóttir from Verkvist and Ólafur Arnarsson from Sérverk
9:50-10:10 Choice of materials in Nordic Swan Ecolabelled buildings - Katla Þöll Þórleifsdóttir, specialist at the Nordic Swan Ecolabel
~ Break ~
10:25-10:35 Another chat about collaboration - Anna Kristín Einarsdóttir from the City of Reykjavík and Guðný Káradóttir and Halldóra Björk Bergþórsdóttir from VSÓ Consulting
10:35-10:50 Challenging requirements - Bergþóra Góa Kvaran, specialist at the Nordic Swan Ecolabel
10:50-11:00 A success story: Tender documents - Þórey Edda Elíasdóttir, Verkís
11:00-11:45 Discussions
11:45-12:00 Conclusions
