Henning Larsen has created a proposal for Copenhagen’s first all timber neighborhood. Made for Fælledby, the plan includes 40 percent undeveloped nature, aiming to illustrates how new developments can embrace environmentalist principles. The project would transform a former dumping ground site into a model for sustainable living, accommodate 7,000 residents in an entirely timber construction.
The new neighborhood project will include unique features, like buildings with birdhouses and animal habitats integrated within the building facades. The proposal extends to nests for songbirds and bats built into the walls of houses, new ponds in the center of each of Fælledby’s three communities for frogs and salamanders, and community gardens with new flowers to attract butterflies. As the team explains, the neighborhood merges traditional Danish urban and rural typologies to create a hybrid that balances the city and its natural surroundings. Fælledby will develop in phases, growing outward from three distinct “cores” that together frame the neighborhood at large. The design was developed in collaboration with biologists and environmental engineers from MOE, preserving 40 percent of the 18.1 hectare project site undeveloped habitat for local flora and fauna.
“Deciding to build in the natural landscape around Fælledby comes with a commitment to balance people with nature. Specifically, this means that our new district will Copenhagen’s first built fully in wood, and incorporating natural habitats that encourage richer growth for plants and animals,” says Signe Kongebro, Partner at Henning Larsen. “With the rural village as an archetype, we’re creating a city where biodiversity and active recreation define a sustainable pact between people and nature.”
Henning Larsen’s timber-construction proposal aims to reduce the carbon impact of the development. Fælledby is the latest in a resurgence of timber construction throughout Scandinavia, as the region sets a global example for sustainable contemporary architecture. “Fælledby is an exciting and innovative proposal, unlike anything we’ve seen before in other parts of Copenhagen. The message from our dialogue with local citizens was entirely clear – we knew we had a responsibility to take great care of the community’s plant and animal residents, while at the same time building a sustainable neighborhood within this setting. We have a strong focus on developing the Fælledby masterplan on natural, local terms,” says Anne Skovbro, Managing Director of By & Havn.
“Like the traditional rural village, the Fælledby masterplan stands for itself within an open natural landscape. This gives an opportunity to create a setting that is uniquely sensitive to sustainability and natural priorities,” explains Kongebro. “We see a potential to build a new city that speaks to the sensibilities of younger generations, to create a home for people seeking a solution on how to live in better harmony with nature. For us, Fælledby is a proof of concept that this can indeed be done.”
News via Henning Larsen
