The Living Places Copenhagen project was selected as a finalist of the New European Bauhaus prize in the category “Shaping a circular industrial ecosystem and supporting life-cycle thinking”.
The Living Places concept was developed by VELUX in collaboration with architectural studio EFFEKT and engineering company Artelia. Its foundation is affordable and healthy housing with an ultra-low carbon footprint, considering comfort, air quality, lighting, and the potential for material reuse.
In Ukraine, three residential clusters based on this model are planned for families affected by the war. Each cluster will include foster family homes, a social centre, and a communal leisure space. Implementation is scheduled to begin in 2025.
The Living Places Copenhagen project, which inspired the Ukrainian initiative, has already been implemented in Denmark. It is a standard residential building with emissions of only 3.85 kg CO₂/m²/year — nearly three times lower than the Danish new-build average. This result is achieved through energy-efficient glazing, modular construction, timber framing, and separating technical systems from load-bearing structures. The houses are easy to dismantle, repair, and scale — from single homes to multi-storey buildings.
With its simplicity, adaptability and healthy microclimate, this concept has the potential to transform the construction market.
Photo: Adam Mork (c) VELUX
The Living Places concept is based on five principles: health, adaptability, simplicity, shared use, and scalability
Living Places concept selected as a finalist of the New European Bauhaus Prize
ID no: 23762
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