The window manufacturer Velux has created an experimental development of low-carbon housing in Copenhagen, built using existing technology and materials. “Living Places Copenhagen,” a prototype village built by Velux in collaboration with the Danish architecture studio EFFEKT, includes two complete houses and five open pavilions.

In addition to being low-carbon, the development is designed to be scalable, affordable, and commercially viable. Each material, design, and construction technique used in the development has been carefully considered, and their projected emissions have been compared to those of a typical reference house in Denmark.

Interior of Household in Copenhagen. Courtesy of the VELUX Group

With 3.8 kilograms of CO2 equivalent per square meter per year, the carbon footprint of a Living Places dwelling is three times lower than that of an average single-family house in Denmark.

Velux explained that the dwellings are carbon-negative for most of their lifecycle due to the selection of biogenic materials that store carbon throughout each building’s lifetime. The development includes a timber frame house and a cross-laminated timber (CLT) house with hybrid ventilation and wood and aluminum windows.

The buildings are modular, making them easy to repair, upgrade, and disassemble. Outdoor spaces are shared to reduce land use, increase density, and encourage socialization among residents.

“This experimental project aims to show how low-carbon housing that is regenerative for the planet can be built using existing technologies – and in a way that does not incur any additional costs in construction and without compromising on quality, architecture, and indoor climate,” explained Velux.

Velux reports that homes built on the Living Places principles can be built at Danish market cost price, whether as single-family homes or as row houses or multifamily units.

“Each building component has been optimized for the best constellation of price, indoor climate, and carbon footprint, with a special focus given to the envelope of the building where significant CO2 savings can be achieved.”

Interior of Household in Copenhagen. Courtesy of the VELUX Group

The project leaders are currently in dialogue with stakeholders, including investors, developers, and builders, to license the concept on a larger scale. The next step involves building the first full-scale Living Places community outside Copenhagen in 2024/25.

As an official partner of UNESCO-UIA World Capital of Architecture 2023 in Copenhagen, the prototype village is currently hosting a program of debates and activities designed to drive and accelerate change on the role of buildings in synergy between housing and society.

Build for Life forms part of Velux’s wider sustainability strategy, which involves “taking measurable steps toward positive change while focusing on how buildings can help to resolve global challenges with sustainable solutions and practical action.” It is aiming to be a carbon-neutral business by 2041.

“Living Places” at BoligVærkstedet. Courtesy of Martin Toft Burchardi Bendtsen

“Living Places” at BoligVærkstedet. Courtesy of Martin Toft Burchardi Bendtsen