NCC launches construction of an energy class A office building in Leppävaara

NCC Property Development is the first company in Finland to receive the status of  GreenBuilding Partner from the EU, and in its activities it complies with the international BREEAM environmental assessment method. The third stage of the Airport Plaza Business Park, which kicked off in autumn 2009, was the first commercial building project complying with the requirements of energy class A in Finland, and the project now launched will fulfil the same requirements. Leppävaara is also ideally placed with regard to transport connections; according to Helsinki Region Transport, its belt line railroad is used daily by approx. 10,000 to 15,000 people.

NCC plays an important role in the development of Leppävaara
NCC Property Development has played a major role in the development of Leppävaara into a significant regional centre. The first initiatives to build the Sello shopping centre were presented almost 20 years ago, since when NCC has played a key role in the development and construction of the whole area. Leppävaara’s new Business Park will be erected in the so-called Neste plot in proximity to Ring Road I and Sello. The project has been planned for approximately two years. The first building will be completed by the end of 2011 and the next stages will be launched according to demand.

- Alberga A is the third new office building project this year.  Alberga Business Park has engendered interest among user markets and we believe it to be in a perfect location in the long run, says Tapio Rantanen, Project Development Director.

ÅF believes in sustainable construction
The position of the anchor company in the first stage has been assumed by ÅF, which will lease a bit less than a half of the offices in the building. ÅF is a leading Nordic technology consultancy company which offers a wide variety consulting, planning and project management services from various fields of industry. The company employes 4,500 consultants, approximately 200 of whom work in Finland.

ÅF has operated in the same office in Finland for 20 years, so according to Sami Kangasharju, CEO, it is a question of a big change, and at the same time an opportunity to reform many other things besides the address and corporate image.

- The location in Leppävaara is excellent both for our personnel and clients. One example of topical themes for us is the carbon footprint caused by our operations, which we want to halve in five years. Moving from 1980s building engineering solutions to a new energy-efficient building is an important step on the way to attaining this goal, concludes Kangasharju.