Nature and environment

Fælledby is the title of the winning proposal in the competition for a new urban district on Amager Common in Copenhagen. There is a strong popular desire to preserve the nature in the area, and this is precisely the aspect that permeates the master plan drawn up by MOE, Henning Larsen Architects and Coop.

Where the ambitions of the master plan go beyond the ordinary is the strategic access to urban nature. Our nature consultants have previously participated in designating the area as a possible building site, as it represents the part of the common which is poorest in species. However, the existing flora and fauna will still be preserved, and the vision is to maintain the biodiversity and attract even more species through various measures.

The intention is also for the development to be certified for DGNB Platinum. The buildings will be built of wood, and MOE has defined the principles for this.

Natural corridors and new habitats The development is divided into three small villages, separated by natural corridors. These passages are a minimum of 20 metres wide and the common's animals will be able to pass through or hide in the scrub-like vegetation.

As opposed to the wild vegetation of the corridors, there will be a more strategic focus in the three villages, each of which will be built around a pond.

Large quantities of soil will be filled in before the three villages are constructed. We are helping to select a soil quality that will support a number of wild plant species. We strive to preserve habitats for local species including butterflies such as the white-letter hairstreak and the burnet moth while crating habitats for new species tha are not present in the area today. Nature is not dictated, but the more we make use of expert knowledge on the preferences of individual species the more likely these species will establish themselves.

Hans Ohrt Senior Project Director Environment & Nature Copenhagen

Natural plant beds with a diverse composition will be constructed between the houses, and nest boxes will be placed in and around the buildings, which could attract bats, swifts, swallows and falcons – animals that are not currently found on Amager Common.

The surrounding nature helps to frame the edge zones and the plantings in the free areas of the islands, which translates into various natural typologies. It deals with the open salt meadow and dense scrub that creeps into the common and further into the open areas between the buildings , says Consultant and Landscape Architect, Pernille Snedker Egegaard.

In addition, our nature consultants have used their expertise to designate specific areas that should be kept completely free to provide breeding and resting places for the animals on the common, including larks and lapwings.

Cloudburst roads between the villages The landfill under the three villages has a double function, since rainwater management is part of the plan.

When we raise the villages in this way, the corridors become depressions that can act as cloudburst protection. The water from general rainfall is diverted by green solutions for the local diversion of rainwater, such as rainbeds, green roofs and façades consisting of native species, which supports biodiversity. The rainwater is then channelled into the pond and the open corridors, which leads it further along the existing flow routes to the south, north and east. This preserves the water balance of the existing biotopes in the neighbouring areas.

The main road, which connects the three islands, has been designed as a cloudburst road that leads water down to the corridors, which act as rainwater basins.

Pernille Snedker Egegaard Consultant & Landscape Architect Environment & Nature Copenhagen

Fælledby Client By & Havn Architect Henning Larsen Architects

Three small villages amidst natural surroundings NATURE AND ENVIRONMENT

A sustainable community with natural corridors is the fundamental concept for a new master plan for Vejlands Kvarter on Amager Common. The ambition is to create the best possible conditions for biodiversity.