henning larsen breaks ground on sculptural school in sundby, denmark

henning larsen architects breaks ground on its new elementary school in sundby, a milestone achievement for both sustainability and educational ambition in denmark. the ground-breaking ceremony marked the launch of an historic project for danish sustainable school construction. the work will make history in the realm of danish school construction, representing an investment in sustainable construction, certified with one of the finest quality stamps with the nordic ecolabel. the structure is characterized by its monumental green roof which will sculpturally integrate into its natural context with a gradually sloping form.

images courtesy of henning larsen

designing its school in sundby, denmark, henning larsen architects sets out with a multi-faceted ambition. focusing not only on sustainability parameters, the team seeks to enhance the school’s potential for local learning and community engagement. the sundby school is designed to meet the UN world language school requirements for teaching facilities that support the UN sustainable development goals through both physical design and teaching curriculum. the school is expected to open at the end of summer 2022 for approximately 580 students up to grade 9 and is eagerly anticipated in the sundby community.

in addition to creating robust classroom spaces with its sundby school, henning larsen architects pays particular attention to spaces outside the traditional learning environment. located on the edge of the city, the design takes advantage of the school’s proximity to nature and aims to bring the outdoors — and an active, outdoor attitude, in. the school itself blends with the land, it’s sloped roof touching down to the ground level facilitate public access at all hours. eva ravnborg, partner at henning larsen notes: ‘we have designed a school that works in a field between learning and landscape, and where it is not just about the learning that takes place in the building, but the whole route to and from the school and the way the school will connect to the local community.’

the primary school will be the first in denmark to be awarded the nordic ecolabel — the region’s official sustainability certification based on a range of parameters for energy consumption, indoor climate, chemical exposure, and sustainable material use. henning larsen is partners on the project with SKALA Architects, ETN Architects, MOE, and autens on a team led by BO-HUS.