LEADERSHIP & STRATEGY
model and it helps amplify some of the features on site . It ’ s very useful when it comes to the installation and erection of the building , so you can see when everything is put in place and it helps predict the installation timelines . Technology has helped with general project management too and allowed us to keep a closer eye on budgets .”
However , as a signifier of how far the industry still has to go Abrahamsen also says : “ What we also found is that many of the workers actually still prefer to work off 2D prints .”
Collaborating with contractors HENT , Abrahamsen and his team got to work demonstrating that wood is a genuine , viable , natural alternative to steel and concrete . “ The original thinking behind the building was all about climate and sustainability ,” Abrahamsen continues . “ Buchardt wanted to prove that , by using local resources and companies , you can construct something of this size to highlight what we in Norway call the ‘ green shift ’. We wanted to show that we ’ re moving towards a greener world . Mjøstårnet is a beacon for other developers and public builders that should encourage new wood-based projects .”
Given its unique stature , what impact has Mjøstårnet had in Norway and what could these so-called new breed plyscrapers mean for the future of construction ? “ On a national level the project has gathered a lot of publicity and interest . There are groups of investors , developers and university students and teachers coming to the site every week . There ’ s a lot they want to learn and see with their own eyes . They want to understand how we ’ ve made this possible . In that sense it ’ s a big success because more and more builders and developers are coming to us and asking for similar projects so we can now say , ‘ yes , we have a legitimate , alternative material to use for major construction projects .’”
12 January 2018