Transforming our building cultural heritage

In collaboration with Faaborg-Midtfyn Municipality, Aarhus School of Architecture is developing and testing new methods for transforming buildings in rural areas that are worthy of preservation but no longer in use into cheap, flexible homes. The Danish Transport, Construction and Housing Authority has made a grant of almost DKK 10 million to the project.

Using new technologies in surveying and digital production, the aim of the project is to show how we can take care of our architectural heritage while giving the buildings new life at an affordable cost. Every year, public and private homes are renovated for around DKK 100 billion. Analyses also indicate that the facades of 30% of all Danish homes will need to be renovated before 2040.

Standardised individualism

The project will develop rational and standardised solutions through the use of modular systems able to reduce costs.
3D scanning makes it possible to register an existing building down to the smallest detail and thus provide complete building documentation. The data is transferred to digitally controlled production machinery which enables the production of precisely adapted building components. The inclusion of digital tools also opens up the possibility of individualising industrial modular products to incorporate the special characteristics, measurements and imbalances of existing building. This makes it possible to combine the special identity and physical characteristics of cultural heritage with the rational standardisation of industrial modular systems.

Deadline

June 2019

External partners and collaborators

The Danish Transport, Construction and Housing Authority, Faaborg-Midtfyn Municipality and the architectural office Archagency.

Participants

Simon Ostenfeld Pedersen, Anne Mette Boye, Niels Martin Larsen, Jan Buthke.