The veterinary building finally finished, soon

Critical report sheds light on the co-location project

On April 17, 2008, the Parliament decided that NVH (The Norwegian School of Veterinary Science) and UMB (The University of Life Sciences) should be merged. The road to a unified NMBU has been a difficult process, because it is only this autumn, with a two-year delay, that the veterinary students moved to Ås. The building itself is still not completed.

Journalist: Tord Kristian F. Andersen

Translator: Angelique Rein

Photographer: Borghild S. Oterholdt and Nathalie Genevive Bjørneby

Critical report

Following an external investigation, Dovre Group submitted a 77-page evaluation of the co-location project of Campus Ås. The report reveals a number of shortcomings and matters worthy of criticism. This has resulted in a price increase of NOK 1.3 billion and the two-year postponement. In its presentation of the report, regjeringen.no concludes that "[…] Statsbygg has consistently underestimated the complexity, scope, requirements for infection control and expenses, and to a too small a degree considered the entirety of the project."

The Veterinary Institute

In quality assurance of concept selection (KS1), a recommendation was made to keep the emergency preparedness and research institute Veterinary Institute at Adamstuen, in line with the users' wishes at the time. This was not taken into account in the project further on. It was decided that it should be moved to Ås together with the Veterinary College. As a result, there came both resistance and high expectations for the new Campus Ås building. Based on this, the users' wishes and needs were strongly emphasized in the planning of the Veterinary Building. The reception project has been difficult, and input has occasionally been variable.

Breaking budgetary boundaries blindfolded

In March 2008, Statsbygg was asked to start planning and designing new buildings for the Veterinary Institute at Ås. The preliminary project took place in 2011-2012, with construction starting in 2013. The first time Statsbygg was notified that the financial management framework was under pressure was in 2016, but no uncertainty analyses were performed then. They were also not implemented when an adjusted cost framework was sought in 2020 and 2021. The report believes that external and independent reviews should have been done to have more realism in the work.

Much to look out for

Although the report is critical, Hege Njaa Aschim, communications director for Statsbygg, says that she is very pleased to receive such an external evaluation. There were around 50 contracts to keep track of, and electrical work that turned out to be more complex than anticipated. This meant that some plans had to be redesigned. Aschim agrees that the report can be seen as a resource and points out what needs to be improved for future projects. She acknowledges that the co-location "has been a very demanding and complex project."

Cost-Cutting Measures

Kjetil Hald Oftebro, chief engineer in the Real Estate Department, is honest that there are things that had to be given up when taking costs into consideration. The area has been reduced, the number of drainage-boiling tanks have been cut from two to one, and automatic damper control ventilation has been made manual. He is quick to point out that "Statsbygg has been very receptive to wishes, especially in the early stages." The report concludes that: "Despite extensive processes, the actual extent of the cuts has been small."

Incomplete

There are still parts of the building that cannot be used. This amounts to about 200 sqm of the 63,000 square meters that have been planned for use. The report gives the example: "A laboratory at the Veterinary Institute has not yet been used due to deficiencies in operationally critical systems in the co-location project and is still operated at a previous location at Adamstuen." E24 mentions fertilizer systems in infection isolates that do not work and therefore remain unused. The Parliament has granted an additional NOK 75 million to rectify errors, but NMBU believes this is not enough to solve all the problems.

Photo: Nathalie G. Bjørneby, 11/2021

Aschim believes that Statsbygg has delivered what they are supposed to: "We are the clients, and will deliver what is ordered. The order is made by those who have domain competence, in other words those who know the subject." Kjersti Sørlie Rimer, Real Estate Director at NMBU, says that on some points NMBU and Statsbygg agree to disagree. "There was too little control at the very beginning, with too tight a time frame." Regardless, both parties believe that good dialogue is very important, and that this is when everything will be made right. "The decisions must be understood by everyone, and the cooperation between the client and the ministries is extremely important," concludes Aschim.

The project council

An issue pointed out by the report has been the project council and its inability to make decisions. It has only functioned as an advisory body, where NMBU and the Veterinary Institute have only been able to provide input, while Statsbygg set the agenda and kept minutes. "The client decides and has the last word. NMBU has participated closely all the way, probably this is a project that has far above average user participation", says Kjersti Sørlie Rimer. The council itself is described as a place where opinions have been aired and one has been able to argue a bit. "NMBU was an observer and not a full member, but I do not think this has had any considerable significance for the project. The fact that the project council was a council and not a decision-making board is a more important issue." The report recommends that it is replaced by a project board in the future. There, the users and future owners must be proper members.

COMPOSITION AND ROLE PERFORMANCE

A splendid building

It is important to point out that this is a project that is on a scale and class very unfamiliar to both NMBU and Statsbygg. Despite delays and billions spent, all parties emphasize that they are generally very satisfied with the end result. "It's a great building, a bit massive, but nice in the terrain. It's great inside, and the ventilation is ok. Most things work well," says Rimer about the building. She also promotes the skilled operating personnel. Statsbygg is also delighted with the almost finished building: "This is a fantastic building. We have now rounded the buoy, and we are left with something to be proud of," says Aschim.

Students’ opinions

Linda Martine Lindstad, head of the student council at the Veterinary College, says that the veterinary and animal care students are very relieved that this relocation process is finally over: "There have been several years of postponements and little predictability, so the fact that we have finally come to Ås is very good for everyone. " Apart from complaints about an auditorium with metal seats, and somewhat limited access to the building, she points out that people are happy. "Even though the building has not been completed yet, it seems for the time being that this has not been a big challenge for the students, as the areas that the students use are largely finished." According to the plan, the entire project will be completed in the summer of 2022. Even though the building has already been moved into, Aschim wants to emphasize: "We will not quit until we are finished."