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The First Step: Transforming industrial places into sustainable habitats
Navn
Mathias Søgaard Kristensen
Uddannelsesgrad
Kandidat
Fagfelt
Arkitektur
Institut
Bygningskunst og Design
Program
Strategic Design and Entrepreneurship
År
2024
The following Master's Thesis presents a historical analysis of Refshaleøen, reflecting on the significant changes the site has experienced over the past century. The transformation of the existing architecture into housing is argued not only as the logical progression of the area's identity but also as a necessary step for Copenhagen in addressing its complex housing market dynamics.
Refshaleøen, once an industrial harbour, has evolved into a cultural and recreational center in recent decades. This transformation underscores its adaptive capacity and the potential for further redevelopment to meet contemporary urban needs. By repurposing existing structures for residential purposes, the city can capitalize on its architectural heritage while responding to the growing demand for housing in a sustainable manner.
Copenhagen's housing market faces challenges of affordability and accessibility, particularly for younger generations and single-person households. Embracing smaller apartments and mixed-use developments on Refshaleøen not only optimizes land use but also contributes to a more diverse and inclusive urban fabric. This approach supports Copenhagen's broader goals of sustainability, social equity, and urban resilience.
The consequences of urbanization
Copenhagen is expanding at a rapid pace, ultimately reaching an estimated population increase of 100,000 people by the year 2050. This steady increase is engaging the municipality of Copenhagen to expropriate their own land in order to accommodate this high demand from all the projected newcomers to the city.
This has ultimately led Copenhagen to reach outwards: constructing a new artificial peninsula, Lynetteholmen, north of Refshaleøen, a cultural hotspot of the city.
The expansion is creating a discourse among the inhabitants of the city regarding access to recreational areas, due to the fact that Refshaleøen stands as the next area to be developed.
The ones left behind
Despite Copenhagen’s expansion, the loneliness throughout the city has ironically not declined at all. On the contrary, the numbers indicate that the denser the city, the overall psychological health in terms of loneliness and alienation of certain groups does indeed rise. It seems to suggest that this rapid urbanization of Copenhagen has resulted in a fragmented city, both physically and mentally, as fast development is more likely to lag behind in cultural initiatives and public spaces for its local residents.
Due to the cultural significance that resides on Refshaleøen, it has been proposed that urban development will extend to that area as part of the Lynetteholmen project, creating a built link.
Despite the population increase, the general level of loneliness within cities has not decreased; on the contrary, it has increased by 4% since 2017. I argue that one contributing factor could be the way in which we interact with each other.
The group most likely to experience excessive levels of loneliness are young adults.
The average footprint per person in Copenhagen is currently 90 sqm. By 2050, it is estimated that this will decrease to 82 sqm per person, ultimately reducing the average size by 8 sqm over 25 years. I have chosen to center my design concept around this trend by exploring smaller living spaces.
REFSHALEØEN TODAY
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REFSHALEØEN // CHANGE THROUGH TIME
Refshaleøen has undergone a series of changes over the past 100 years. Originally an industrial harbor, the site played a significant role on Copenhagen's waterfront, dominated by production and shipping activities.
Since 1996, Refshaleøen has transformed into a cultural hub, offering recreational facilities, fine dining establishments, and museums.
By the year 2075, Refshaleøen is set to more than double its current size, accommodating a large residential area known as Lynette Holmen. Lynette Holmen will be distinct from the cultural center of Refshaleøen. However, this expansion is expected to increase traffic within the site itself.
Active stakeholder related to development of Refshaleøen.
By collaborating with Refshaleøens Ejendomsselskab and By&Havn, I have discovered that the current tenants of the site will be expropriated in the near future due to their vision to develop Refshaleøen to include residential areas.
The current landscape hosts a wide range of recreational and commercial companies thriving in the existing buildings, remnants of the industrial harbor that once dominated the area. These tenants contribute significantly to making Refshaleøen a popular cultural destination enjoyed by many.
My vision for the area has flourished by envisioning how strategic transformation can help develop the area in a manner that preserves its heritage while embracing new opportunities for housing development.
”How might I refurbish a building on Refshaleøen into a sustainable and healthy habitat that are rooted in its sorroundings through an adaptive transformative process?”
SITE // Refshalevej 207A
The chosen site formerly served as a commissary for workers at Refshaleøen during its industrial heyday through the 1900s. It is now functioning as a music academy where musicians now fill the building, sharing their creative endeavors through its long corridors.
Change in organization of site. From industrial function towards creative space
Interior qualities at Refshalevej 207A
STRATEGY // BUILDING ASSESSMENT
The Building Assessment is a detailed part of the transformational process in that it helps the user understand the site on a technical level, apart from the purely architectural. The theory of Shearing Layers is used to categorize building components, managing a timeline to indicate the longevity of each area of the building. This exercise is used to determine whether or not certain components can be deemed worthy of keeping in a transformation project.
The program utilizes a thorough historical analysis of the cultural history of Refshaleøen to create an understanding of the needs of the site, while also considering the social needs of the city of Copenhagen. The project aims to propose a new solution to the housing crisis, a solution that uses a transformative framework to incorporate new dwellings within the existing built mass.
STRATEGY // HOUSING IMPLEMENTATION
- PHASE 1
The first phase of the transformational strategy emphasizes the site’s preservation value: By temporarily removing existing windows, the masonry will stay intact.
- PHASE 2
The second phase of the execution takes advantage of the access created when new windows are removed. All materials for the apartments will be lifted through these gaps, utilizing the remains of the windows.
- PHASE 3
Original window frames are returned to their designated spots, now optimized to meet modern regulations.
VISION // INTRODUCING SUSTAINABLE HABITANTS
The vision for the transformation study is to introduce housing through an intuitive and seemless process that can prove to be scalable. Refshaleøen’s Ejendomsselskab states that they invision a suiting residential area being inclusive and sustainable with access to nature and cultural goods. It is therefor proposed that transformation can be a step towards that direction, by preserving critical architecture and refurbishing them into habitants where people now only live, but thrive with each other.
CULTURAL HERITAGE
Valuable architectural pieces that is preserved and has received and extended life cycle because of transformation.
TRANSFORMATION
The process inwhich the housing is created. This is guided by a gentle framework that intends to limit damage to the building, but also to cut down on construction cost to focus on materials
NATURAL MATERIALS
By introducing bio-based materials into the supply chain when transforming, this choice will actively take pressure off of Earth’s finite ressources while also emitting less carbon dioxide.
SCALABILITY
The Design Concept must follow a SCALABLE framework that can be used for future scenarioes, utilizing transformation as the most logical way to establish housing in an existing neighborhood
NO COMPROMISE
The Design Concept must not demolish any walls or other elements in order to embelish the site. Only through health related reasons must this be done.
RESPONSIBILIY
The Design Concept must have a clear understanding of the materials chosen. Hereby: Where it is sourced, Life Cycle and Disposability
RELEVANCE
The Design Concept must cater to relevant social problems in society.
REIGNITION
The Design Concept must re-activate excisting spaces in a way that it is a true to its heritage as possble, to ensure that the transformation project remains true to the site
Living in smaller apartments with more community-oriented spaces offers several compelling advantages for the future. Firstly, smaller apartments consume fewer resources in terms of construction materials, energy for heating and cooling, and overall maintenance, thus reducing the ecological footprint associated with urban living. This also makes city living more affordable and accessible to a broader range of individuals, including young professionals, students, and single-person households, promoting socio-economic diversity within urban communities.
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THE PERKS OF TINY LIVED SPACES
Smaller apartments are important for Copenhagen for several reasons:
- Population Density: Copenhagen is experiencing population growth, and smaller apartments allow for higher residential density. This helps accommodate more people within the city limits without expanding into greenfield areas, thereby preserving natural landscapes and agricultural land.
- Affordability: Smaller apartments tend to be more affordable than larger ones, making urban living accessible to a wider range of residents, including students, young professionals, and single-person households. This diversity supports socio-economic inclusivity within the city.
- Sustainability: Compact living spaces reduce energy consumption for heating, cooling, and lighting. They also require fewer materials for construction, contributing to lower carbon footprints associated with urban development.
MATERIALS // WHY BIOBASED?
The demand for finite ressources and materials, such as gravel and other minerals are at an all time high. By introducing biobased materials into transformation projects, mineral based materials that are good for load bearing, such as brick and concrete can continue to flourish in the built environment, while biobased and more sustainable materials can be plastered in its interiour spaces.
The corridors between the apartments are built upon a social framework that activates the spaces between the living areas. I envision that these social spaces are meant to facilitate community creation.
MATERIALS // HEALTH
Bio-based materials often avoid the use of harmful chemicals such as formaldehyde, commonly found in traditional construction materials, which can lead to health issues such as asthma and cancer. Materials like hempcrete and straw bale possess excellent moisture-regulating properties, helping to maintain a balanced indoor humidity level. This capability can mitigate the risk of mold and mildew, which are known to cause respiratory issues and allergies.
Apartment Type A // 17,5 sqm
As apart of my program, I decided early on to challenge the current construction patterns that exists in Copenhagen, the main one being a large consumption of square meters. I identified that by focusing on small, yet optimized lived spaces, the cost of implementing bio-based materials would seem a lot more attractive for stakeholders to pursue.
Section model of apartment type A
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Process and sketches
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Det Kongelige Akademi understøtter FN’s verdensmål
Siden 2017 har Det Kongelige Akademi arbejdet med FN’s verdensmål. Det afspejler sig i forskning, undervisning og afgangsprojekter. Dette projekt har forholdt sig til følgende FN-mål
