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Green Lighthouse

Architectural ambition for sustainability

“It is the government's ambition that Denmark is at the forefront in the green area. However, good intentions cannot do this alone. The most important thing is the initiatives that actually will transform society. Green Lighthouse is such a concrete initiative on all parameters - and now it is also certified for it.”

Says Minister of Climate, Energy and Building Martin Lidegaard (R).

Green Lighthouse is the first public building with carbon-neutral energy consumption in Denmark. The circular shaped building creates a calm focal point in an area characterised by several different building styles and a myriad of odd angles. The green translucent composite façade transforms the area’s corroded copper roofs into a reflective facade, which act as a dynamic contrast to the neighbouring buildings. Inside, the circular design continues as the central concept of the building, where a lightweight stairway following the round shape up through the interior of the building towards the skylights.

A Social meeting point

Green Lighthouse is a social and academic focal point for the Faculty of Science campus at the University of Copenhagen. Each floor has study areas, and right at the top is the Faculty Lounge with a large roof terrace. The circular shape plays a key role for the energy profile of the building, as it provides the largest possible volume with the smallest possible surface area, resulting in very low heat loss and supports the CO2 neutral energyprofile of the building. On the outside, the facade catches the sunlight’s movement across the sky and window shades capture the solar heat that heats up the building.

How the project addresses the Sustainable Development Goals

In the project we have worked with issues related to the Sustainable Development Goals. However, the project was not designed to address the global goals, as it was created before the goals were adopted by the UN. We have worked with issues related to: SDG 3: Good Health and well-being, SDG 4: Quality education, SDG 7: Affordable and clean energy, SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth, SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities, SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production, SDG 13: Climate action and SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals.

Client
Danish University and Property Agency
Area
970 m²
Year
2009
Location
Copenhagen, DK
Collaborators
Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen Municipality, COWI, Hellerup Byg, VELUX, VELFAC
Images
Adam Mørk
Users
University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Science
Awards
  • in 2012 Green Lighthouse was awarded the Municipality of Copenhagen’s Architecture Award and in 2011 the building won the Innovation Award from Danish Industry for the innovative solutions incorporated in the architecture