Harbor Houses: Sustainable and Modern Residential Complex in Aarhus

Introducing Harbor Houses: A New Residential Complex in Aarhus

Harbor Houses is a new residential complex located in the port of Aarhus, Denmark. The project was completed in 2015 and consists of 262 public dwellings, including apartments for families, seniors, and students. The complex breaks with the port’s massive scale and presents a modern and sustainable expression on the waterfront in Aarhus Northern Harbor.

ADEPT’s Innovative Design Approach

ADEPT has taken the best aspects of the city’s existing block structure and reinterpreted it, providing a modern and sustainable expression on the waterfront in Aarhus Northern Harbor. The simple building arrangement benefits from shared greenhouses on the roof, varied building heights, and sustainable initiatives that make the new dwellings robust and future-proof. The housing structure adapts to its context that consists of large, industrial scale and on the other, a smaller and intimate scale with a lively maritime atmosphere.

Unique Building Features

The building volumes are placed along the edge of the site, gathering the dwellings around a large green courtyard sheltered from the wind and creating the best sun and daylighting conditions for the apartments. The development is built predominantly in brick, dropping in building height towards the water and the marina. In addition, the building structure subdivides into smaller buildings, marked by varying heights and subtle changes in façade expression. The sunny roof surfaces are furnished with greenhouses, common areas, and living terraces with excellent views of the city, forest, and bay. The remaining roofs are green surfaces for both collecting rainwater and supporting solar panel arrays.

Sustainability at its Best

Harbor Houses is a ‘zero-energy building,’ which, with its solar panels and greenhouses, takes more advanced steps toward meeting future energy requirements than those currently formulated by the municipality and the state government. The client expects the future settlement to meet the energy requirements of 2025 – an energy class not yet formulated. Among the sustainable initiatives that put Harbor Houses in front are thermal heating from 21 vertical and 150 m deep drillings, hybrid panels combining solar panels and solar collectors, five heat pumps, and several energy wells. Grey wastewater is collected and recycled, making up almost 60 % of the building’s energy consumption. Both façade and materials were carefully designed to meet the highest standards. At the same time, the dwellings are built within the allocated budget, allowing rents to be competitive, even among the cheapest on a comparable market.

In conclusion, Harbor Houses is a unique and innovative residential complex that breaks with traditional building tendencies. Its sustainable initiatives and modern design make it a model for future building projects.

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