Healthy environment in green village

Located south of Odense on the Danish island of Funen, ‘Lensmarken’ is the first social housing development on Funen to gain DGNB certification. All 40 dwellings feature Troldtekt acoustic ceilings, which contribute positively to the certification.

A total of 40 wooden houses make up Lensmarken, which has also been dubbed ‘a small green village’. The housing development is DGNB-certified in the Gold category, which means that it meets a number of special requirements for economic and environmental quality as well as sociocultural sustainability. A requirement puzzle which the social housing association Civica in cooperation with the project advisers had to put together within the confines of the tight budgetary constraints typical of public housing projects.

“It was essential for us to document the sustainability of the project. We wanted valid solutions that had been costed by a third party to avoid ending up with homes where most of the sustainable solutions had to be done away with to keep within the budget. This involved making many active choices along the way, and carefully assessing the suitability of different materials and solutions,” says Bente Karlskov, project development manager at Civica.

Focus on sense of community

Lensmarken consists of terraced dwellings ranging in size from 71 to 110 square metres. One of the overriding visions has been to strengthen the sense of community among the residents by creating green areas with bonfire places, playgrounds and fruit trees – as well as ensuring careful integration of the buildings with their surroundings.

“Outside, we’ve made a point of using construction materials that make the houses blend in naturally with the landscape. The facades are clad with weatherproof wood, and the roofs are covered with moss sedum,” explains project manager Anders Gottfred Petersen from ERIK Arkitekter.

Every square metre of floorspace has been optimised. All two-room homes are single-storey. In the two-storey three and four-room homes, the two levels are linked by an open stairway. The first floor comprises a gallery and two rooms. The ground floor includes an entrance, a bathroom and a kitchen/living room with a view of open fields. The large, light room features a vaulted ceiling, which is clad with Troldtekt acoustic panels.

Troldtekt combines benefits

All the materials used in the construction of the houses have been carefully selected for their low environmental impact. High-quality natural materials have generally been used to guarantee low energy consumption, an optimum indoor climate and a minimum of maintenance. These parameters are all key to earning points for DGNB certification.

“We chose Troldtekt for several reasons. Firstly, it’s a solution that is easy to maintain for a housing association, which would otherwise normally have to paint the ceilings before new tenants move in. Secondly, by using Troldtekt cement-bonded wood wool acoustic ceilings, we can ensure good acoustics, particularly in the high-ceilinged open-plan kitchen/living room,” explains project manager Steen Wøldike Gade from Hans Jørgensen & Søn, who has been the main contractor on the project.

Bente Karlskov from Civica adds:

“In homes with wooden floors and smooth walls, the acoustics are important. Troldtekt is a wood product that combines superior acoustic properties with recycling. This earns points towards the DGNB certification and was a significant reason for choosing Troldtekt ceilings.” 

Inspires new habits

Lensmarken was ready for occupation in 2018, and the 40 dwellings were soon let to many different types of residents, from elderly people living on their own to young families. 

“So we can see that sustainability appeals to a wide demographic. We’ve also done a questionnaire, and 65 per cent of the respondents said that it’s important for them to live in a sustainable home. Furthermore, we can see that many residents have become more conscious of their own behavioural patterns regarding energy consumption and waste sorting. This could well be a sign that sustainable housing also inspires a more environmentally conscious lifestyle,” says Bente Karlskov.