The first building by Búseti to receive the Nordic Swan Ecolabel

Eco-friendly initiative in Hafnarfjörður

The first housing development from Búseti to receive the Nordic Swan Ecolabel is now rising in Hafnarfjörður. The first groundbreaking for five townhouses (medium-density housing) was taken on May the 22nd. Búseti, housing developers, were allocated a plot at Axlarás 16 to 22 at the end of last year. Now the construction plans have been approved, and the aim is for the work to begin in the coming weeks and be completed by the end of next year.

Construction of five townhouse apartments

Búseti has commissioned the design of five elegant townhouses on the lot. Ístak is responsible for the construction of the houses in collaboration with other contractors. The townhouses will also be the first Swan-certified new construction project that Ístak is undertaking. The design of the townhouses being built by Búseti is credited to M11 architects.

Valdimar Víðisson, the mayor, along with Bjarni Þór Þórólfsson, the CEO of Búseti, company board members, and representatives from Ístak, broke ground in late May.

“We are extremely proud to see how builders have chosen to construct environmentally friendly buildings due to the encouragement from municipal authorities to support those who choose to do so,” says the mayor. “I congratulate Búseti on their achievement and look forward to seeing the house rise.”

The number of residential apartments is increasing in Hafnarfjörður

Bjarni Þór Þórólfsson, the managing director of Búseti, says it is a true pleasure to start construction on a Nordic Swan-certified townhouse at Axlarás in Hafnarfjörður.

“The houses are exactly the size and type that our members are looking for. Búseti’s real estate portfolio includes everything from smaller apartments to spacious single-family homes. It is particularly gratifying for Búseti to increase the number of apartments in Hafnarfjörður,” he says.

“There is always a great demand when the company advertises apartments in the municipality.” The apartments that Búseti already owns in Hafnarfjörður are located in Birkihlíð, Bæjarholt, Þrastarás, Blikaási, Engjahlíð, and at Suðurhvammur. Búseti places a high value on sustainability and appreciates the encouragement provided by the grants from the municipal authorities for those who wish to build eco certified buildings.”

Eco-labeled in Hafnarfjörður

It has been a year since the first building received the Nordic Swan Ecolabel in Hafnarfjörður. It was the apartment building at Drangaskarð 11 and Hádeigsskarð 20. The town partially reimburses the value of plots built sustainably to benefit the residents of Hafnarfjörður. This has motivated contractors and initiated a number of environmentally friendly projects.

Discount on construction rights fees due to environmental certifications (Nordic Swan Ecolabel, Breeam certification, or equivalent) are as follows:

• Single-family houses receive a 10% discount on the construction rights fee.
• Medium-density houses receive a 7.5% discount on the construction rights fee.
• Multi-family houses 5% discount on the construction rights fee.

Búseti is a housing development company built on Nordic principles and has a history of over 40 years of successful builds. The organization’s website states that such cooperatives are owned by all members and are open to everyone regardless of age and residence. Today, Búseti’s real estate portfolio consists of about 1,500 apartments, home to nearly 4,000 people, with around 700 apartments added to the portfolio in the last six years. Last year, approximately 100 apartments were added to Búseti’s real estate portfolio. There are about 6,500 members in Búseti.

• But what does the Nordic Swan Ecolabel certification entail? “The main goal of the 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 is taken into use. The requirements also extend to quality management on the construction site, as clear control of environmental factors and quality management often go hand in hand,” says on the website svanurinn.is.

Hafnarfjörður congratulates Búseti on their achievement!