Living Places Copenhagen – Denmark

Living Places Copenhagen has been nominated for the Nordic Council Environment Prize 2024. 

Living Places Copenhagen shows it is possible to build community-oriented homes with a carbon footprint three times lower than the legal requirements in Danish building regulations; to build them on a large scale, and to match the market price for detached or terraced houses. A complete lifecycle assessment was conducted, i.e. all of the materials, the design and the construction techniques were specially chosen and their carbon footprints calculated. 

The project is part of the "habitats" concept, which aims to demonstrate that we do not have to wait for new technology to build homes with a low carbon footprint. The concept is based on five key principles for new buildings and retro-fitting older ones: They have to be healthy, simple, scalable, affordable and shareable over time. 

Living Places Copenhagen consists of seven prototypes: Five open pavilions and two finished full-scale homes. The buildings are living proof that the concept works, and the media attention from home and abroad is testament to its full potential.