Lørenskog team builders

In mid-April, contractor AF Bygg Oslo had 14 of their own carpenters working on the project. The tasks include both interior and exterior carpentry work, with walls, panels, and terraces.

– I think it’s a lot of fun, smiles production manager André Lauritzen.

He is responsible for managing the carpenters on the project. Lauritzen worked as a carpenter for seven years before pursuing a technical college education. In the fall of 2023, he started at AF, and before Christmas the same year, he was in place as the production manager at Rolvsrud Arena.

– When the guys know each other, it becomes like a group of friends. We do the job together and have a good flow, so I think it has a big positive impact that we have our own employees and not just hired workers, says Lauritzen.

At AF Bygg Oslo, there has long been a culture of using their own employees for carpentry work. This way, teams are built. The idea is that permanent work teams provide better cohesion and a better working environment.

– It becomes a system where most people have fixed tasks. Things run very smoothly, says Odd Martin Jordtveit, a carpenter at Rolvsrud Arena.

– We think more long-term. If we see that something is going to arise, we try to find a solution instead of just finishing a job that might need fixing later, says colleague Vegard Borge.

Rolvsrud Arena consists of five buildings with a total of 300 apartments. The homes are being constructed right next to Rolvsrud Stadium. The buildings share a common two-story base that includes a garage and commercial property.

In the spring of 2024, construction activity was concentrated around buildings 2 and 3. Building 2 is curved. This presents some extra challenges for the carpenters and other craftsmen as almost no walls meet at a 90-degree angle.

AF Eiendom, Øie Eiendomsutvikling, Breidablikk Eiendom, Ragde Eiendom, and Wenaas Kapital are behind the project. The developers offer buyers a shared ownership scheme to facilitate more people entering the housing market.

The housing project is located near Skårersletta, which is being developed into Lørenskog’s new main street. The street will have wide sidewalks and good conditions for pedestrians, and it is designed to encourage activity and community with good meeting places.

Many experienced people are involved in the construction of Rolvsrud Arena. The project manager and site manager have a combined 60 years of experience with AF. Continuity is a key reason why AF Bygg Oslo consciously focuses on having their own carpenters, explains technical manager Roar Neegaard.

– We are the old Ragnar Evensen. We have people who have been employed as carpenters for almost 40 years. I have been here since 1987, and we recruit many good supervisors from our own ranks with a carpentry background, says Neegaard.

– Why do you maintain the practice of having your own carpenters in the company?

– Because it is cheaper, there are fewer mistakes, and therefore fewer complaints. Those are three good reasons, laughs Neegaard, adding:

– And we are a craft company.