Rønde, Denmark
“We know that we cannot wait for policymakers to push the green agenda, we must face the weight of our design decisions headfirst, altering our practices, bettering ourselves, and pushing our industry,” explains Jakob Strømann, Director of Sustainability and Innovation, Henning Larsen Architects.
“Thinking critically about the production line in its entirety, we have shown that quality and function are not compromised by using fewer resources. Straw is a fast-growing renewable resource and a byproduct of agriculture; a great alternative to producing new materials. For this project, the straw was sourced from as nearby as neighboring fields,’ he continues.
Based on sustainability and eco-innovation, European Prize for Architecture laureates Henning Larsen Architects have completed the extension of a rural school in Denmark, that captures more carbon than it emits, perfecting an architectural model for a carbon-neutral future.
The construction industry has an environmental impact that can no longer be ignored.
Estimated at a third of the planet’s overall waste, the harsh reality is that 39% of global greenhouse gas emissions can be traced back to the building sector, with construction materials currently accounting for a staggering 11%.
For jarring reference, the commonly vilified aviation industry is at the root of but 3% of global emissions while the manufacturing of cement alone is responsible for 8%.
Harnessing the natural carbon cycle to design a carbon-storing building; embedded with carbon that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere.
In doing so, the architects have chosen to radically rethink their choice of materials; the literal building blocks with which they work.
In selecting materials that naturally absorb and store CO2 in the carbon cycle, not only did they generate immense carbon savings, but we successfully designed a structure that is composed of carbon-sequestering elements.
These elements are completely free of toxic chemicals, fire-safe, and once assembled, offer efficient insulation as well as an exceptional indoor climate.
The latter is achieved by means of natural and passive ventilation systems that eliminate energy consumption on a daily operational level.
Along with the Danish philanthropic organization, Realdania, and EcoCocon, they developed a pioneering climate-neutral structure.
A massive gable roof made solely of timber tops the building, which uses a panel system made of compressed straw and a ventilation system made of eelgrass, a common seaweed found along seashores in the northern hemisphere.
The design framework is created with planetary health in mind, following five ambitious principles: incorporate sustainably sourced, renewable, bio-based materials to sequester carbon; reuse local materials to save resources and energy; employ materials that are free of toxic chemicals; provide a healthy indoor climate, ensuring natural ventilation and lower energy consumption; design for disassembly, for the reuse of building components in the future.
By applying these principles, they successfully reduced the structure’s footprint to 6kg of CO2 per sqm per year, with an expected lifespan of 50 years.
Project: Extention of Feldballe School
Architects: Henning Larsen Architects
Lead Architect: Jakob Strømann
Funding Partners: Realdania
Suppliers: Ecocon
Client: Feldballe School
Photographers: Rasmus Hjortshøj – COAST
