Æbeløen – residential park Aarhus

GOAL no. 10, 11, 13, 15

Urban densification emphasizing sustainability and a good life for tenants, insects and flowers.

The constant population increase in our major cities often leads to the demolition of existing buildings to make room for larger, taller and more standardized building volumes that prioritize cars and car parks over human well-being. These urban areas often seem anodyne, and the perceived urban quality is usually a far cry from the qualities that characterize the original historical city.

Æbeløen has a plot ratio of 200 per cent, compared to 185 per cent in the existing neighbourhood that it extends. The increase was achieved using architectural features that are familiar in a Danish context, including sloping roofs, brick exteriors, skylights and green courtyards, interpreted in a contemporary expression. Materials were carefully selected with an eye to aesthetics, quality and long-term durability.

Æbeløen was also designed to be an active part of the city. The houses are arranged around a new, public street that connects the area to the nearby Botanical Gardens. New courtyards are designed to invite outdoor life. For example, most of the stoops double as seats, and the flats have small front gardens that offer a pleasant outdoor living space. The combination of rental and owner-occupied units ensures a diverse demographic mix with students, families and seniors contributing to local life at different times of day.

The courtyard design includes integrated rainwater management features in the form of visible recreational elements, such as small rainwater plant beds. In combination with ‘wild’ plant beds and green exterior walls, this will over time make the area a haven for animals and plants. Vegetation is carefully selected to create optimal conditions for insects and birds.

This project exemplifies that we can achieve urban development by building on tradition while at the same time addressing climate and biodiversity challenges.

Project details

Where: The area between Saltholmsgade and Møllevejen, 8000 Aarhus C

Completed: 2020

Client: A private group of investors

Architects and advisors: CEBRA (architecture, landscape), MBYland (landscape), OJ Rådgivende Ingeniører (engineer), Raundahl & Moesby (contractor)