INTRODUCTION

This book presents a selection of 60 contemporary architectural projects that each contribute to the ambition of working towards a sustainable society.

The intention is to provide an architecture guide to projects across scales and geographies in Denmark that, when seen together, provide a picture of current contributions towards new sustainable practices in the built environment. The 60 projects span buildings, urban spaces, landscape, infrastructure and planning initiatives as well as place-making strategies.

The viewpoint of this book is proudly local. The sustainability crisis, environmentally as well as socially, crosses borders, and engulfs all corners of the planet. To be able to act and contribute to the global sustainability agenda, we must share knowledge across borders and understand shared emergencies. But an architectural intervention must necessarily be an integral part of the society in which it is located, i.e., its geography, its cultural context and the users it serves must be the core of the chosen architectural solution.

This viewpoint is reflected in the selection of cases: they are selected on the grounds of their contribution to a specific local community. As a result, local mobilization through architecture runs as a fine thread through this book, tracing architectural efforts to support communities across Denmark.

The book opens with a chapter presenting an overview of how architecture interacts with each of the UN 17 Sustainable Development Goals. This is then followed by the 60 selected cases structured in seven regional chapters. Each chapter opens with a short introduction to the region, its landscape, development and building culture.

The book is published on the occasion of the UIA World Congress of Architects 2023 by the Danish Association of Architects and has been collected and curated by members of the Association. The cases are presented in seven chapters corresponding to the seven local chapters of the Association itself: Copenhagen, the Islands, Bornholm, Southern Jutland, Western Jutland, Eastern Jutland and Northern Jutland.

Each chapter gives examples of realized projects that illustrate how architecture can contribute to the realization of the Goals. Our hope is that the cases will form a basis from which to continue a conversation about how the built environment can move towards social and environmental sustainability.

The short descriptions do not explore the projects in their full complexity but are meant to serve as an introduction to the projects and an invitation to discuss how architecture locally relates to the Goals and can be a part of society’s response to the global challenges.

We hope that this book will inspire visits to the presented projects, and that it can be used as inspiration to reflect upon how the built environment can contribute to a more sustainable world.

The Danish Association of Architects – Arkitektforeningen – is a professional community and the only independent association of architects in Denmark. The purpose of the association is to support and promote the working conditions of individual architects while at the same time striving to ensure the architectural quality of our cities, buildings, landscapes and environments to the benefit of society as a whole.

www.arkitektforeningen.dk