Mannvit to design new prison
Mannvit and Arkis signed a contract recently to design a new prison at Hólmsheiði, following the selection of Arkis from a group of 18 proposals. Mannvit will be responsible for the design and tendering of the earthworks, structures, HVAC and acoustics. Mannvit will also be responsible for the design of access roads and utilities leading to the site of the Hólmsheiði prison.
The estimated cost of the prison is approximately ISK 2bn. The prison will be designed during the coming winter. The project is scheduled to be put out for tender in the spring of 2013.
In addition, yesterday the Minister for the Interior, together with representatives of the team that will be involved in designing the prison, signed the Nordic Built programme. Nordic Built is a partnership programme that promotes the development of competitive solutions in ecological construction. It has been decided that the prison at Hólmsheiði will be certified in accordance with the international certification system BREEAM, which conforms very well with all 10 principles of the Nordic Built programme. By using this methodology in the creation of a man-made environment, every effort is made to increase quality of life, take advantage of sustainability, use local resources and build on Nordic design tradition at its best.
The programme is financed by the Nordic Council of Ministers together with Nordic Innovations, which is also responsible for its implementation in partnership with the Nordic countries. The object of the programme is to help the Nordic countries achieve their goal of being leaders in the fields of innovation, green economy and welfare. By promoting collaboration across borders and disciplines, a pioneering partnership is established that will result in innovations in the construction industry.
Pictured from left to right: Eiríkur K. Þorbjörnsson from Verkís, Ögmundur Jónasson, Minister of the Interior, Óskar Valdimarsson, one of the ambassadors of Nordic Built, Steinunn Valdís Óskarsdóttir, Chair of the Steering Committee for the prison construction, Þorvarður Björgvinsson from Arkís, Einar Ragnarsson from Mannvit and Gunnar Kristjánsson from VSI – Safety Design and Consultancy Services ( VSI – öryggishönnun og ráðgjöf).