It is crucial to consider the future environmental impact of everything we create. Climate change remains high on the global agenda, and every industry must take part in the goal of reaching Net Zero. One of the more challenging industries concerns construction, which plays a vital role in the process of decarbonization and is constantly encountered with challenges to become greener. Therefore, it demands innovative techniques and development of data to find new and sustainable processes. One solution is to introduce and design both cleaner and more efficient materials. Bricks are a good example, as they can be used in building constructions to ensure a circular process and minimize carbon emissions, being an extremely durable material that can be produced with more sustainable techniques.
The key to buildings that last for generations
The production of wood materials emits less CO2 than bricks. This is undeniable. However, what is often not considered in the bill is that wood may require ongoing maintenance afterwards, such as surface treatment and painting; while bricks have a very long lifespan, making them easily reusable and recyclable, if they are carefully disassembled. That is, bricks can create a circular development, which allows for greater value over time. They consist of shaped and fired clay, which is a natural raw material, deriving from deposits on the Earth's surface caused by stone weathering.
Brick has been manufactured for thousands of years, with few major changes in its processes; but there is always space to improve its performance. With this in mind, Randers Tegl has a vision to become the most sustainable brick and tile manufacturer. The company has developed a new line of products called GREENER, produced exclusively with biogas and electricity from wind turbines to reduce their environmental impact by 50%. The products have complete documentation in the form of an EPD, so that it is possible to use the product in technical calculation programs, quantifying in the best possible way the impacts of the built building. Randers Tegl intends to take responsibility and think sustainably as part of achieving a Net Zero goal, both in terms of how building materials affect the climate and how materials age, but also with a focus on architecture.
New corporate headquarters for Danish Crown
Greener bricks were chosen to frame the new headquarters of Danish Crown, a company that has also been looking for a statement in terms of architecture and sustainability, in line with its philosophy. The project is being developed by the Danish architectural office CEBRA, with a crystal clear vision: “If we design for longevity, it decreases the total climate footprint of a building. Therefore, durability has been a key element in the design of the Danish Crown headquarters, where we emphasize the use of solid materials, which will last for decades and demand minimal maintenance. Furthermore, we designed a flexible building that can adapt over time to meet the changing needs of its users – which will extend the building’s lifespan as well.” – Mikkel Frost, Architect and Founder Partner, CEBRA Architects.
The 250,000 Greener bricks supplied by Randers Tegl will ensure that energy consumption, indoor climate and building material targets are met. Choosing Greener over conventional bricks saved the building over 66 tons of carbon emissions. The calculation was carried out by Søren Jensen Consulting Engineers, which showed that the GWP (Global warming potential) is changed by 1.42% just by replacing the bricks. In addition, the new headquarters will be certified with DGNB Gold and Heart. These checks state that the building is healthy and comfortable for employees with a special focus on air quality, thermal comfort, acoustics and architectural quality.
In DGNB-certifications, the criteria are weighted in relation to each other. This means that sustainability in this perspective is about gaining a high score under the individual criteria, as well as creating a balance between the different criteria. By using the Greener-brick in constructions, the building’s DGNB-score is raised by 2.75 points, which demonstrates the significant carbon dioxide reduction of Greener when compared to ordinary bricks.
Sustainability requires constant development
At the moment, they are working on a historically long brick beam that is being made at Carlsberg Bjælker TM, which is an independent arm of the Randers Tegl Group with more than 20 years of experience in the field of prefabricated brick element production. The beam will adorn the entrance area and serve as a 16.5 meter broad visual attraction embellished with the Danish Crown logo. This is just a small part of Randers Tegl’s vision of constantly evolving in order to contribute to the ambitious goal of Net Zero.
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“We believe that continuous development is crucial to the goal of a CO2-neutral future; in terms of data, production and in collaboration with our customers. With this project, we get the opportunity to show that our documentation of the Greener series’ low CO2 footprint can be used directly in the calculations of a DGNB-certified building. And I have no doubt that in the long run, it will be an unavoidable requirement for larger projects.” – Svend Roed Larsen, DGNB Consultant, Randers Tegl.
With the climate emergency becoming an increasingly hot topic, it is vital that civil construction makes a search for new sustainable materials, innovative construction techniques, but also better performance than what already exists and we know it works. Materials as old as brick, with small improvements in the manufacturing process, can contribute to a more sustainable and decarbonized future. As Randers Tegl quotes, “The road to Net Zero architecture can be paved with bricks”.
Project partners: CEBRA Architecture, Søren Jensen Consulting Engineers, Entrepreneur Raundal & Moesby.
This article is part of the ArchDaily Topics: The Road to Net Zero Architecture presented by Randers Tegl.
Randers Tegl aims to take responsibility and think sustainable as a part of reaching the goal of Net Zero. Both in terms of how building materials impact the climate and how the materials age, but also with a focus on architecture. That is why Randers Tegl created their sustainable series GREENER, which comes with full documentation in the form of EPD, so it is possible to use the product in technical calculation programs.
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