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l "This marks the first time in Sweden that a building contractor has conducted a serious evaluation of a building." This statement was made by ventilation expert Jan' Sundell in praise of Anders Nisses AB, which has worked hard to achieve a good environment in the newly constructed office block at Alviks Strand. After 10 years of experience at the National Board of Occupational Safety and Health and another 10 years at the National Board of Physical PLanning and Building, Jan Sundell is currently conducting research at Karolinska Institute into the link between diseases and ventilation. "I believe that having a certificate for the indoor environment will be a normal requirement some day," says Jan Sundell. A good ventilation system must be easy to clean and designed so that each individual has control over his own area. Anders Nisses has the chosen the Italian Hiross system for Alviks Strand. Stringent requirements "The Hiross system may meet my stringent requirements," says Jan Sundell. "It's difficult to say. It all depends on how it operates. "It's easy to clean and has a higher rate of outside- air intake than normal. And that's good." Systems that utilize recycled air are generally regarded as inferior today. A couple of years ago, however, it was a completely different story. Recyling air as an energy-savings measure was the rage then. "Recycling air is no longer popular," says Jan Sundell. "But even that debate has been carried to the extreme. People are getting hung up once again on a single aspect of a building. "Ninety percent of Swedish buildings have ventilation systems that utilize recycled air." Maintenance most important As the debate gains momentum and new advances in research are made, systems will continue to develop. This type of thinking was totally alien a few years ago. Jan Sundell mentions the problems associated with risky systems, but he also singles out a factor more important than the choice of system. "Operation and maintenance of air-handling systems. This must be carried out correctly. Ventilation ductwork is often the only thing that is never cleaned in a building. "Anders Nisses has pursued a clear policy at Alviks Strand; make sure that the ventilation system actually works." N cn 0 ~ ~ ~ N -O (n OD

The buildings at Alviks Strand have attracted great interest, even internationally. "I showed a U.S. professor and his associates around the office block," explains C-G Petterson. "They had been traveling around Europe for two weeks and these were the first future-oriented buildings they had seen. "A lot of people talk about it, but the professor and his party had never encountered anyone that had actually built office buildings for the future."