Andreas Bladh has a number of major, long-running construction projects to his name, including the third runway at Arlanda Airport and Framtidens US in Linköping. The latter was a billion-krona project carried out in various stages over a ten-year period with stringent requirements from many highly sensitive and vital operations, as well as from emergency services.
“What’s special about Corson is that the university’s activities are so intensive and so close to the construction work. Our work has a major impact on both students and employees. Student life goes on almost around the clock.”
For Andreas Bladh, the Corson project has been an assignment full of contrasts, providing new insights from day one. Campus Valla never sleeps. Here, construction work takes place alongside students on their way to exams, students attending events and students who have to take detours around the site, but do not always do so. And while the work is going on inside the fence, the newly formed “Staketeriet” (roughly, “the fence”) holds parties with music, singing and dancing outside it.
“I’ve learnt so much about students and student life. It’s great for someone like me, who doesn’t have any university credits myself.”
Jenny Widén
Surprises underground
At the same time, the work inside the fence has to function smoothly. The contractor starts work at half past six in the morning. Andreas Bladh is there too. Every day, he makes his rounds of the construction site, answers questions, makes decisions, talks to the construction workers, observes and listens. Andreas Bladh believes that things like this are important.
“A lot of what we dig up dates from when Campus Valla was built 50 years ago. There can be quite a few surprises. Cables and pipes that don’t match the drawings, or aren’t even shown in the drawings. Old remnants of all sorts of things that were left behind, even though they’re no longer in use.”
Perhaps the biggest surprise to emerge from the ground was a gravestone, complete with a name and dates.
“It probably came with excavated material that was used as fill when Corson was originally built,” says Andreas Bladh, who had to contact the Church of Sweden and make sure that the gravestone was dealt with properly and with dignity.
And sometimes things clash. Like when construction began, just after Easter 2025. The contractor closed off Corson from Märkesbacken along Buildings A and C. Only a small gap was left to provide access to the first entrance to Building A. Large, temporary cycle parking areas, surfaced with gravel and signposted, had been provided next to Märkesbäcken.
“Even so, the students went as far as they could and parked their bikes and e-scooters right in front of the door. There were so many bikes that the door couldn’t be opened. We had to take emergency action to move the bikes and e-scooters so that the entrance would remain usable for evacuation.”
Jenny Widén
Strong student interest
The students’ strong interest in the construction project came as something of a surprise.“Criticism is often due to misunderstandings, uncertainty, incomplete information or a feeling that you haven’t been involved in the change,” says Andreas Bladh. “We’ve tried to address this by holding more information meetings and discussions in various forums. Criticism shows that people are engaged, and that’s positive.”
Those who have taken part in the information meetings can probably testify to Andreas having shown both great patience and a strong focus on safety. When students have forced their way through the fence and entered the construction site at night, his main concern has been to make sure that no one gets hurt.
“You have to engage with people and explain the consequences firmly and clearly. Simply getting angry and telling them off rarely helps,” Andreas Bladh continues. “The key to success is talking and listening, even when you don’t agree. That’s my basic philosophy.”
Jenny Widén
“It’s very enjoyable working across organisational boundaries like this, with people from Akademiska Hus, different departments within LiU, Kårservice and the student unions. Gradually, we’re learning each other’s professional terminology and communication is getting better and better.”
The whole of Corson is due to be completed in 2027. What will you do after that?
“After Corson, I don’t have any other projects lined up. You’re constantly keeping an eye on the market and trying to get involved in different procurement processes. Things usually work out.”
Jenny Widén
