Drastic renovation project in the Silo:
Will cost 60 million
The planned renovation of the Silo will cost twice what was originally predicted. Only the doors will be left when all the bathrooms are torn down.
- We will be doing a complete re-planning of the 216 bathrooms. The bathrooms will be stripped down to the concrete walls. The only things left will be the door and a pipe, says Lisbeth Dyrberg, Administrative Director at The Foundation for Student Life in Oslo (SiO).
Last autumn Universitas reported that there was extensive damp damage in some of the residences at Grünerløkka Student House, due to a construction flaw in the toilet cisterns. Mycoteam, specialists in damp and mould, were brought in to analyze the situation, and came to the conclusion that fixing the damage would be unproblematic. Later, however, SiO implied that it might be necessary to replace all the bathrooms, as they all had the same construction flaw. It was estimated that the renovation work would cost between 20 and 30 million kroner. Now SiO has carried out closer inspections that show that the problem is even bigger than expected.
- To get a proper overview of the situation, we decided in the beginning of February to tear down and inspect three bathrooms that previously had not shown any signs of being faulty. It transpired that these also had major flaws, says Dyrberg.
In addition to the bathrooms having thin membranes and mould in the walls, they discovered faults in the heating cables, and industry regulations regarding pipes, sinks and showers were not followed.
-We estimate that the renovation will cost somewhere in the region of 60 million kroner, says Dyrberg.
Everyone has to move
At the present time, she does not wish to comment on where the 60 million kroner is to be taken from.
- The Board of Directors has stated that it will come back to this question when it knows the outcome of any possible compensation might be, she says.
SiO has now entered into a deal with a contractor, and hopes that the work of rebuilding the residences will start in the beginning of May. The building process will take approximately 18 months, according to Dyrberg.
- We are very concerned that the building must be as secure as possible, so that similar problems do not occur again. This time every regulation will be followed, she says.
All residents of the Silo have been told by SiO that they will have to live somewhere else for up to four months during the building period. Some residents have to be out by the 29th of April, but SiO will assist in finding a new place to live where necessary.
To improve the situation, SiO has put up barracks outside the Silo, which are to function as a quiet study hall for those still living there during the rebuilding. Dyrberg thinks it is sad if the renovation has negative consequences for the tenants.
-This is very unfortunate for the tenants. We will do our upmost to get the building ready as soon as possible, and spare those who are living there during the building period as much as possible, she says.
Will pursue the case
Dyrberg can inform us that SiO have been in dialogue with the contractor with a view to come to an agreement that the contractor is at fault. So far, the response has not been positive.
- We have understood that the contractor thinks that the reclamation period is over. We will therefore pursue the case, and have already handed in a conciliation complaint, she says.
A/S Anlegg was the sole contractor during the building of the Silo, and was responsible for both work and materials. The company has since been bought up by the contracting firm Reinertsen AS.
President of Reinertsen AS Erik Reinertsen has little to say to SiO’s complaints.
- We have received several reports from SiO. We will now look into whether we agree with their conclusions. This will take months, and I do not wish to comment on the case at the present moment.
-What will you do if you find that you agree with SiO’s conclusions?
-I do not wish to comment on that at the present moment either, says Reinertsen.
Received new housing
Ørjan Arnesen is one of the residents who were told that they had to be out by the 29th of April. This gave him less than three weeks before he had to move.
- This came like a bolt from the blue, but I understand that they have to renovate. I live in one of the corner flats that will be especially bothered by the equipment lift that is being assembled right outside our windows. Therefore, I understand that I have to move out so soon.
Arnesen is also pleased with the way in which SiO has tackled the situation.
- I applied for new housing on Friday. By Monday, I had been offered a new flat, and on the same floor that I’m living on now. All I had to do was move ten metres across the hall.
Arnesen says that when the water leakage in the floors below was discovered, it was eventually proved that his bathroom was the source of the leakage. Therefore, he has followed the development in the Silo. He hopes that the students who continue to live in the student house during some of the construction work will not notice the project too much:
- It will be exciting to see how noisy it gets, he says.
