Meet Tom Daniel Berg Enger

From the beginning, we set out to deliver a paperless hospital project that would be a world leader in BIM and industrial engineering. The functionality of the software has been continuously developed to make sure the levels of detail and information contained in the BIM model were always sufficient and up-to-date.

This level of digitalisation means great opportunities for efficient production on the construction site. We had BIM stations placed across the site to give contractors direct access to the latest drawings. In that way, contractors can retrieve what belongs to their contract to order materials and plan prefabrication and assembly well in advance of start-up. 

Furthermore, we have aimed for a very high degree of standardisation and prefabrication of elements, which is relatively new in hospitals. All patient bathrooms have been made entirely from premade elements that were delivered on the building site like flatpacks – similar to what you know from furniture. One of the contractors made a 'pop-up factory' on site to optimse the production of pillars. 

I believe Nye SUS is one of the most exciting construction projects ever to be completed in Norway. We have had many complex systems that had to exist together and have worked intensively with the interaction between many highly technical systems. And I'm happy and proud to say we succeeded – along the way, we actually won the BIM World Cup in 2019.

Working on this project has been both challenging and educational. COWI has strong hospital expertise and has built up a lot of experience by being involved in several hospital projects or projects in related areas, such as the pharma industry. 

To be leading experts, we have to be at the forefront of BIM and digitalisation. We have an internal 'hospital school' where advisors with extensive hospital experience are matched with younger engineers that are skilled in modelling and digitalisation. The young will shape the hospitals of the future, but they need guidance from experienced hospital planners.

This culture of collaboration, learning and development between disciplines lifts the entire industry. We work fully integrated in a team with the architects and, of course, very closely with the customer. It's a mutual effort that leads to a flow of improvements that may seem individually small, but together, they add up to significant lifts, not just in how we work with hospitals but with big buildings and construction in general.

I have been involved in the project for seven years and have performed tasks within risk management, progress planning, contract follow-up, preparation for diagnostic imaging, follow-up during the construction phase and, in recent years, project management for the design group. My educational background, which is a mix of engineering and social sciences, has been very useful in these varied roles. A project like this has a lot of interaction in the relationship between people, technology and organisation.

Personally, I also find it very motivating to work with something truly meaningful. A hospital – healthcare – is not just designing pipes and channels, but about ensuring good treatment for patients. My work plays a part in one of society's important functions, and I feel I am part of something bigger than my profession.