Dicksonska Palatset: Renovation in a busy environment

Dicksonska Palatset is one of Gothenburg’s most beautiful stone buildings, located in the centre of the city. Over the years, Dicksonska Palatset, built in 1862, has been used not only as a very lavish private residence, but also as a school, tourist office and art gallery. The renovation that was carried out by FO Peterson was very much about carefully restoring the building to its original condition. 

Challenge: project in a busy environment 

During the renovation work, large amounts of construction waste were generated that had to be sorted and disposed of. 

“The challenge regarding construction waste in this project was that Dicksonska Palatset is located at a heavily trafficked intersection and in a location where the area available for placing containers is very limited. At the same time, our ambition level regarding environmental work, sorting and recycling was high,” says Susanna Åkerberg, Site Manager for the project at Dicksonska Palatset for FO Peterson. 

Solution: Size-adapted containers, early emptying and a vacuum truck 

Fredrik Tengström, a salesperson at Sortera, likes a challenge. He was therefore happy to help FO Peterson find good solutions for handling construction waste: 

"We got involved early in the process. We can then plan and advise on what type of containers and construction bags to use. We optimised how we use the storage area with different fractions and sizes of containers adapted during different phases of the project."

To minimise problems with accessibility and to avoid unnecessarily affecting traffic, all truck journeys to Dicksonska Palatset were carried out early in the morning before rush hour traffic. 

"FO Peterson trusted our expertise, and I have been able to make suggestions that saved both time and money, such as using a vacuum truck to quickly remove concrete and brick rubble from the basement. It is an activity that takes place over a shorter period and has a great positive impact. It simplified their work and reduced the number of truck journeys,” Tengström continues. 

The vacuum truck was also been used to dispose of material contaminated with Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAH is a carcinogenic substance found in the coal tar that was used in the past as a moisture barrier. With the help of the vacuum truck, FO Peterson was able to remove the contaminated material with minimal manual work, which both saves time and is safer from a work environment perspective. 

Commitment and good cooperation 

Åkerberg was pleased with the choice of Sortera as a partner. 

“This is the first time I have personally worked with Sortera, although I know we have hired them on several other FO Peterson projects. Everything worked well, and Fredrik has really shown great commitment. He maked site visits and was involved in answering questions about sorting waste when we had environmental training for staff and partners at the start of the project. I can absolutely recommend Sortera!” says Åkerberg. 

About the project 

Dicksonska Palatset was listed as a historic building in 1973 and is now owned by the municipal property company Higab. The renovation and restoration of Dicksonska Palatset lasted until spring 2024. The building now has a new roof, the facade has been restored and painted, new windows manufactured according to old drawings have been installed and the glass sections of the orangery were replaced to recreate the original appearance. The interior of the building was restored to its original condition to the greatest extent possible, but the two lowest floors were adapted so that they can be used as a restaurant and banquet hall. Much of the work was carried out using old materials, using old methods and under the supervision of a building antiquarian. 

About the customer 

FO Peterson is Sweden’s oldest construction company and was founded in 1870. Today, it carries out both new construction and renovations. As a company with a long history, it is happy to take on assignments such as the one at Dicksonska Palatset, where there are historical buildings ​​to manage and preserve.