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The UN House
A showcase for environmentally-friendly reconstruction in the
Nordic region.
GRID-Arendal’s Head Office is located in what is known
as the “UN House”, facing the waterfront in the centre
of Arendal. The building was originally constructed in
1965 and completely renovated in 2006. The renovation
project focused on applying the latest technologies to
create a showcase for environmentally-friendly recon-
struction in the Nordic region. The energy consumption,
believed to be above 300 kWh/m
2
/year before the reno-
vation project, was reduced by two-thirds, to just above
100 kWh/m
2
/year today. In 2007, the UN House was
one of three finalists to be awarded the Glassbjørnen
Prize, given by the Norwegian Foundation for Sustain-
able Consumption and Production (GRIP) for the most
eco-efficient procurement policy practiced by a Norwe-
gian organization.
The “green attributes” of the UN
House
Sorting, reuse and recycling of materials during
destruction of old building:
Before renovation work
started, the objective set by the building company was