Dortheavej Residence

The architecture studio fulfills the “Homes for All” mission for Danish non-profit affordable housing association Bo-Vita (previously called Lejerbo) with the 6,800m2 winding wall in central Copenhagen’s multicultural northwest area. The building offers 66 new homes to low-income citizens featuring unprecedented 3.5 m ceilings, generous floor to ceiling windows and outdoor terraces, realized on a strict budget. Named after its address Dortheavej, the five-story building winds through the area characterized by car repair shops, storage and industrial buildings from the 1930s-50s. The architecture studio was commissioned to design Dortheavej in 2013 by Bo-Vita, whose mission is drafted by Danish urban space designer Jan Gehl. The goal was to create much needed affordable housing (approximately 850EUR per month for a 1-bedroom) in the area while keeping the pedestrian passageways open and the adjacent green yard untouched. “Our ambition was to create affordable apartments by the world’s leading architects. Together with the architecture studio, we have succeeded in creating sustainable, safe and functional homes that see eye to eye with the people who live in them,” said Jan Hyttel, President of Bo-Vita. Affordable housing is an architectural challenge due to the necessary budget restrictions. By attempting to mobilize modular construction with modest materials, it becomes possible to create generous living spaces at the urban as well as the residential scale. The characteristic checkered pattern of Dortheavej’s façade is based on a singular prefab structure. The housing modules repeat along the curve and are stacked to the height of the surrounding buildings. By stacking the prefabricated elements in a certain way, every second module gets an extra meter of room height – making the kitchen and living areas unusually spacious – and every apartment gets a small terrace, providing the setting for healthy, sustainable living. Balconies retract and add depth to the façade while on the northern side, the facade is even. Long wooden planks cover the façade on all sides, highlighting the modules and alternating to accentuate the checkered pattern. Inside, large floor-to-ceiling windows in the apartments allow lots of daylight into the units and outside views into the green courtyard and the surrounding neighborhood. The size of the apartments ranges from 60 to 115 m2 and all the materials are kept very simple with wood and concrete in light colors dominating inside and out. Conceived as a porous wall by gently adjusting the modules, the living areas open more towards the courtyard while curving the linear block away from the street to expand the sidewalk into a public square in the south. On the street level towards the north, the building opens up to allow the residents and general public to pass seamlessly into the intimate, green courtyard. Evening views of Dortheavej situated in one of the most multi-ethnical, low-income neighborhoods in Copenhagen, show the building as light and transparent. Residents can look out from their balconies and the surrounding community can see the activity inside. The small square created by the building’s slight curve will be landscaped with cherry trees and spaces for bicycle parking—the preferred way of getting around the city. In the beginning of 2018, the architecture studio and Bo-Vita were honored by the Danish Association of Architects with the Lille Arne Award for prioritizing the spatial qualities of the residences and the building strategy on a strict affordable housing budget. Economical constraints often lead to scarcity—at Dortheavej, the architecture studio managed to create added value for the individual as well as the community.