The Swan

First Eco Labeled Upcycled Kindergarten

Imagine a world where building materials are recirculated. Imagine if we could build our new buildings using the materials from the buildings we demolish? And imagine the new both saves CO2, materials and results in healthy buildings that don’t cost more? With the Swan we achieved just that.

In 100 years we have gone from reusing most building materials to using primarily new materials, because it is cheaper and easier to handle.

Location
Gladsaxe, Denmark

Area
1,436 m2

Typology
Kindergarten

Collaborators
NIRAS

Year
2019-2022

Status
Completed

Client
Gladsaxe Municipality

Services
Architectural advising, sustainability consulting

‘We are incredibly proud to have the world’s first circular kindergarten. It will also be Gladsaxe’s third Nordic Swan Eco-labelled institution and once again put Gladsaxe on the climate world map’

Trine Græse

Mayor, Gladsaxe

‘In order to demolish and build sustainably, one must focus on the amount of waste, the use of new materials, limiting CO2 emissions, minimizing the use of chemicals and environmentally hazardous substances in our building materials. At the same time, you have to create some buildings that are exciting with a good layout, in- and outside, for users and citizens.’

Helen Glindvad Kristensen

Project Manager, Gladsaxe Municipality

‘Upcycling gives the new institution invaluable gains because it gets its very own narrative right from the start. Parents who have attended Gladsaxe School themselves will for example be able to recognize the clock from the schoolyard in the orangery, and the dome from the school’s observatory which will be a playhouse on the playground.’

Jan Rasmussen

Team Manager, Gladsaxe Municipality

  • Svanen_Opslalt_Nord
  • Svanen_Opstalt_vest
  • Svanen_planer
  • Svanen_Snit_A-A