Old cultural centre gets daylight, fresh air and new energy

Daylight, solar heat and natural ventilation from the VELUX Group ensure good indoor climate and better energy balance in the City of Copenhagen’s energy renovation project of a cultural centre in a northern quarter of the city. Today, the renovated building is inaugurated and on 1 January the public will start using the facilities.

By:	VELUX A/S
Published:	11/13/2009

When the UN Climate Conference begins in Copenhagen in December, the Municipality will present a series of energy renovation projects of some of the city’s old buildings. The Valhalsgade Cultural Centre at Nørrebro is the flagship project of the programme, which apart from the climate and energy issues, concentrates on creating a better indoor climate and well-being for the people who live and work in the buildings. With its long experience in daylight and fresh air, the VELUX Group as project partner has had an influence on how the old building in Valhalsgade should be given a new lease of life.

We spend 90 per cent of our time indoors
The renovated cultural centre will cut its energy consumption by 60 per cent, thereby reducing CO2 emissions. Savings come from more than better insulation – the passive solar heat admitted by the new roof windows, the electricity cuts coming from more daylight and natural ventilation and the solar collectors that supply hot water and heating of the basement all contribute to the reduction of energy consumption. But the VELUX Group has another goal equally important as reducing energy consumption – it is improving the health and well-being of the occupants.

“Daylight and fresh air are vital to our welfare, our health and our ability to learn and work. We spend 90 per cent of our time indoors, so it is important that we get as much daylight and natural ventilation as possible into our buildings,” says VELUX Group Department Head Karsten Duer.

The building in Valhalsgade was completed in 1952 as an industrial building for the electric light bulb producer Osram. As the first prefabricated concrete building in Denmark, it is remarkable for its profiled surfaces and oblique glazing bars. These will be preserved during the renovation.

Important to all Copenhageners
The Culture and Leisure Mayor of Copenhagen, Pia Allerslev (who is the political head of Copenhagen Property, the agency behind the renovation), has nothing but praise for the project.

“The Valhalsgade project is important to the City of Copenhagen – and, of course, all Copenhageners. It is a showcase of how energy savings can be combined with the renovation of worn-out buildings, giving them a new life and new qualities. And that is the sort of approach we need to adopt if we are to tackle the hugely demanding challenges of climate change. I fervently hope that we can transfer this kind of thinking to the many renovation projects that will be undertaken in the future,” says Pia Allerslev.  “It is one of my personal ambitions to to spark off more of such projects.”

The project proposal for the cultural centre was drawn up by architects from the VELUX Group after examination of the building and discussions with a group of consultants from the drawing office Tegnestuen T-plus and the engineering firm Wissenberg.

Technology areas:	Energy Efficiency Renewable Energy
Technologies:	Building Materials Low-Energy Buildings Solar Thermal Energy