Breidablik School fully renovated

How can the sky-high demands of today's schools be adapted to a 120-year-old building? After six years of work, Breidablik School has been fully renovated.

“Exciting and demanding,” says Thor André Vestvik Ingebrigtsen, construction engineer at Omega 365 Areal. 

He served as the project manager for Breidablik School in Haugesund, a neoclassical building located in the city center. Recognized as one of the city's largest rehabilitation projects, the school has undergone a total facelift, from floor to ceiling and facade to floor plan, as detailed in an article on the municipal website. All the work are based on both antiquarian principles and today's requirements, like universal design and heating. The project was completed in partnership with Haugesund municipality, the city's heritage official, architects, and specialist consultants, under the coordination of Omega 365 Areal.

“The requirements for the new school building were extremely high, and it had to be adapted to a 120-year-old building. The exterior had to remain exactly the same, and inside, we have preserved as many elements as we can, while still meeting today's requirements. We've stripped the building down to the ground, after years of only maintaining bits and pieces,” says Vestvik Ingebrigtsen. 

“The biggest challenges have been ensuring  the building is straight and waterproof,” he says. 

“Working with a building from the early 1900s is a challenge in itself. It's been demanding, exciting and educational, as well as giving me confidence,”  says Ingebrigtsen about the project.

Vestvik Ingebrigtsen believes there will be more similar projects in the future. 

“We have to take care of our existing buildings. With less and less building space, there will be many rehabilitation jobs in the future. I believe Omega 365 Areal is in a strong position to solve such assignments. We have a good interdisciplinary team and many experienced consultants who are experienced with these projects,”  says Ingebrigtsen.