1. What Is Ekonod?

A Smarter Way to Build

What is Ekonod?


Ekonod is a complete building platform that brings together modular building services systems, digital control and a structured delivery methodology. It replaces today’s on-site built installations with a calm, predictable and factory-assembled installation node in every apartment, transforming construction from late-stage design to early configuration.

This also includes electrical installations based on plug-and-play principles, where cabling, connections and interfaces are predefined, prefabricated and factory-verified. By shifting electrical systems from traditional on-site wiring to an integrated part of the installation node, Ekonod reduces coordination risk, shortens installation times and delivers a safer and more predictable electrical installation in every apartment.

Ekonod, the project’s technical backbone

 


Ekonod is a complete building platform that unifies modular installation technology, digital control, and a structured delivery method. It replaces today’s site-built installation systems with a calm, predictable, factory-assembled installation hub in every apartment and transforms construction from late-stage design to early-stage configuration.

This includes plug and play electrical installations, where cabling, connections, and interfaces are predefined, prefabricated, and tested in the factory. By eliminating traditional on-site wiring complexity, Ekonod reduces coordination risk, shortens installation time, and enables safer, more predictable electrical delivery across every apartment.

From early design through long-term operation, Ekonod acts as the technical backbone of a project. The platform standardises the most complex parts of a building, delivers them with industrial precision, and gives developers, architects, builders, municipalities, investors, and financiers full clarity on cost, climate impact, and performance far earlier than traditional models allow.

At the same time, the delivery model is flexible, from individual components to full installation packages or early-stage system configuration as a strategic partner, depending on the project’s goals and business model.

Ekonod is not a single product. It is a complete method that combines physical modules, digital tools, climate intelligence, and validated system logic. Its digital structure also enables efficient operations, predictive maintenance, and continuous system-level monitoring, ensuring stable performance over the building’s lifecycle.

Behind the method lies Nordnest Huset, a systematised model for sustainable construction that brings together the most value-creating building blocks to scale quality, reduce waste, and future-proof both buildings and investments. The result is buildings that are faster to deliver, cheaper to operate, and easier to manage throughout their entire lifespan.

The core idea


Ekonod replaces on site construction of installations with a factory built installation hub that delivers:

  • all heating and hot water
  • all ventilation and airflow
  • all water distribution
  • all electrical connections
  • all sensors for moisture, leak detection, fire, and diagnostics
  • all digital connectivity via Matter and Modbus

Electrical installation is delivered using a plug and play logic, removing the need for traditional point to point wiring between switches, outlets, and fixtures on site.

Each hub is moisture protected, QA tested, digitally ready, weight optimized, and structurally compatible with concrete, steel, timber, and hybrid frames.
It arrives as a complete unit, ready for connection, not assembly.
This is what turns every apartment into a predictable installation station.

Why the industry needs it


Traditional projects struggle because installations are designed too late and built in uncontrolled conditions. The result is:

  • cost overruns that push installation packages twenty to thirty percent above plan
  • delays caused by overlapping trades and constant rework
  • contractual disputes due to unclear boundaries
  • climate targets missed because circulation loops waste twenty to thirty percent of energy
  • increasing risk due to labour scarcity and shrinking installer availability

Even highly skilled professionals cannot overcome the fragility of a site built installation model. The process itself guarantees variation, moisture exposure, pressure drops, and performance deviations.
Ekonod solves the root cause.
It replaces late design with early configuration.
It replaces improvisation with repeatable modules.
It replaces uncertainty with clarity from day one.

How Ekonod flips the model


Configure

  • Developers choose a validated system configuration based on performance targets, structure type, and energy strategy.
    No speculative design loops. No guessing.

Budget

  • Costs, timelines, energy use, and climate footprint are known early.
    ROI can be calculated before drawings are final.

Build

  • Modules are produced in a controlled factory environment, moisture protected, QA verified, and assembled with consistent precision.

Install

  • Every apartment becomes a planned, repeatable workstation.
  • Trades are separated in time.
  • Progress becomes calm and predictable.

Ekonod makes installation behave like an assembly process.
Fewer people on site. Fewer errors. More certainty.

Why the bathroom matters


The bathroom is the most installation dense room in any apartment.
Ekonod uses it as the anchor point for the entire technical system.

The hub inside the bathroom delivers everything:

  • Heating
  • Hot water
  • Ventilation
  • Water distribution
  • Sensors
  • Digital connectivity

This structure enables:

  • Slimmer installation zones
  • Smaller shafts
  • Higher ceiling heights
  • More usable and sellable area
  • Faster installation
  • Fewer trades on site
  • Consistent moisture protection
  • Built in leak detection and automatic shutoff

What appears to be a bathroom is actually the technical heart of the building.

Digital by design


Every hub arrives with Matter and Modbus readiness, enabling:

  • smart metering
  • tenant level billing
  • diagnostic data for facility teams
  • integration with building management systems
  • AI based optimisation
  • energy as a service models
  • real time leak, moisture, and heat monitoring

Digital intelligence becomes part of the building from day one, not an afterthought.

Immediate climate and energy benefits


Ekonod eliminates all circulation losses.
This removes twenty to thirty percent of wasted hot water energy experienced in traditional systems.
Real world benchmarks show:

  • approximately three kilowatt hours per square metre per year for hot water
  • CO₂ emissions reduced from around twelve and a half kilograms per square metre to approximately six kilograms per square metre
  • fifty to seventy five percent hot water energy reductions when combined with spillwater heat recovery

No other system achieves these reductions with such structural simplicity.

Why Ekonod is different


Ekonod gives teams what traditional models cannot: early certainty.

It combines:

  • predefined system logic
  • modular, factory built delivery
  • embedded digital readiness
  • climate aligned performance data
  • consistent QA
  • predictable installation sequencing
  • reduced insurance risk
  • ES G aligned reporting from day one

This is how Ekonod transforms development from designing in the dark to configuring with confidence.

Who it is built for


Architects

Creative freedom without technical conflict. Space gained back from shafts. Higher ceilings. No more layouts forced by riser logic.

Developers

Early cost visibility. Faster revenue. Controlled risk. Clear ROI models.

Construction companies

Cleaner sites. Clearer roles. Sequential work instead of overlapping trades.

Municipalities

Lower procurement risk. Stronger climate alignment. Predictable outcomes.

Investors

A standardised, repeatable system with real performance data and lower operational volatility.

Financiers

Early clarity on capex, opex, and CO₂. Stronger eligibility for green loans and sustainability linked financing.

Ekonod in one sentence

“A configurable, future ready installation platform that makes buildings faster to build, easier to operate, cheaper to run, and aligned with the next generation of climate and digital standards.”

Read more, see more


Read the full “What Is Ekonod” brief (PDF) and watch the overview film

Read more about Ekonod