Doubly-certified new student housing

The newly built Studio[Home] housing units for DTU students and guest researchers are both DGNB-certified and Nordic Swan Eco-labelled. PensionDanmark and Boligfonden DTU, a non-profit foundation providing housing for international students and staff coming to DTU, are behind the project, while Vandkunsten Architects designed the housing, which includes Troldtekt ceilings in communal areas.

In Ballerup, 300 student housing units have been built and in Lundtofte 491 under the Studio[Home] concept, backed by PensionDanmark and Boligfonden DTU. Vandkunsten Architects designed the project, which was launched in 2019.

Sustainability permeates the homes, which have achieved DGNB Gold sustainability certification and also the Nordic Swan Ecolabel. At the Building Awards 2021, the project won the Project Development Award.

In the communal areas, Troldtekt acoustic panels in natural wood have been chosen to ensure good acoustics and a pleasant soundscape in the areas where many students come together during the day. The Troldtekt panels harmonise with the rest of the décor, which is dominated by wood and white surfaces.

Carefully designed spaces

The Studio[Home] units have a floor area of 30 square metres, and are produced as room modules made of wood, built by the company Scandi Byg. The modular design facilitates scaling of the project.

Storage and space utilisation are baked into the design, for example with built-in storage above and below the bed, as well as a window seat.

As part of the concept, the units are let furnished with plywood furniture designed by the Danish company Stykka. The furniture is designed so that you can easily replace defective parts – the landlord simply scans the furniture with an app to order replacement parts. The result is a long useful life.

The choice of wood as the primary material, the furniture and the mindset of a long-lasting design with the possibility of replacing components all result in significant savings in terms of carbon emissionsand resources. In addition, the concept is scalable and can be deployed in other locations.