Deputy Mayor Laura Hay announced last Wednesday that Adept and Luplau & Poulsen was the winning team for the residential complex to be developed at Aarhus Harbour. The Brabrand Housing Association’s new residential complex calls for a deisgn in Aarhus Habour that will break the massive scale of the harbour is as it currently exists. Adept and Luplau & Poulsen’s design - The City in the Building – Housing for All at Harbour North – will provide 238 public dwellings of which 83 are apartments for families and seniors, and 155 student-housing units.
More details on the design after the break.
The design is relatively simple, and incorporates the existing block structure with contemporary architectural and urban considerations for use of space and environmental concerns. The complex provides for shared use of greenhouses located on the roofs, and are arranged with varied building heights – breaking the monotony of same-storied buildings. The buildings are situated along the edge of the site, creating large social gatherings within the courtyard the the assembled buildings create. It provides protection from wind and sun and optimizes the daylight that reaches each apartment, according to Martin Laursen, partner at ADEPT.
The buildings divide into small divisions, changing in height and materiality. The buildings closest to the water are shortest, rising as they are pulled further away from the coast, giving those furthest away a chance to see the port, as well. According to Simon Lyager Poulsen of ADEPT, this strategy reinforces the smaller scale for the individual – associated with town houses and communities – created with shared spaces. Each apartment has sides from which to access sunlight, has private outdoor space and a common courtyard, creating room for both private and public spaces. The zero-energy design has solar panels and greenhouses – a step towards meeting Brabrand Housing Association’s goal to meet energy requirements of 2025.
